Nixie the Dragon: Season 1
by C-Alrich
Summary: Basically a run through of Teen Wolf Season 1, but including my character Nixie. I'm moving backwards guys, but I hope you still like it. Obviously Parrish isn't in this story, but all good things to those who wait, right? Rated M for language and violence and for my own paranoia. Enjoy! (Sept 1, 2019: This story is undergoing a bit of reconstruction. Thanks for your patience.)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything original that I make her do or say."

So... I did a thing guys.

First of all, shout out to AnnieHart, who found my story and sent me a message about it. Thank you so much for reading the first three stories I wrote that revolved around seasons 4 and 5. Shout out to her because, in her message, she asked if I was ever planning on writing Nixie into any of the previous seasons. And obviously, Parrish appears in the later half of season 3, so writing something for that has always been a thing I thought I might try at some point. But I hadn't actually though, hadn't even crossed my mind, of writing Nixie into the earliest seasons of Teen Wolf.

And then, low and behold, here comes AnnieHart. And now I'm all like, 'You idiot. Why didn't you think of that?' Lol.

So... after she asked that, a few ideas kept bouncing around in my head, and so I had to start writing them down. Bottom line... I'm working on writing Nixie into the first three season of Teen Wolf as well. Yay! (Or boo. Depends on who you are I guess.)

So anyways, obviously Parrish isn't in here. Nixie is still Nixie, an overprotective badass. Also, just a heads up, some chapters are significantly shorter than others. Not sure if that's always been a pattern with me... but anyways. Some chapters are really long too. I usually try to keep them within 10,000 words at least, but... well, I'm not just going to stop writing to make it shorter and leave out something that I think is awesome either.

One last little note before I'm finished. I just want to warn you... I didn't proofread this quite as thoroughly as I did my three previous stories. I mean... I've gone over them, and I think I've caught all the big mistakes, but there still may be a few tiny ones lingering that I've managed to miss. If you happen to see them, and they bug you as much as they would bug me, please let me know, and I will do what I can to fix it ASAP.

Okay, I've rambled long enough. As always, sorry for the interruption. Just figured I'd give you guys a heads up. These might not be as good as my previous stories. Like I said, I created Nixie originally for the sole purpose of seeing Parrish with a love interest. But I do love Nixie, and so without further adieu, here is Teen Wolf Season 1, with Nixie. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Episode 1x1

It's all Nixie can do to keep her laughter quiet as Scott and Stiles scream like girls when Stiles hangs down from the roof of Scott's porch. Of course, considering they'd just been screaming, she didn't really have to be quiet. If Melissa was going to wake up, she'd be up by now.

Nixie Haven was the third musketeer in this dynamic trio of miscreants. Had been ever since her mom had moved her here several years back. It was the second-to-last year of elementary school when she'd first met them. And though at the time, her sarcastic wit had nothing on Stiles, she'd been able to keep up with him longer than most people.

They only really met because Stiles and her got paired together for an English assignment. And it was all Noah could do not to laugh at his son when he came home that first night. Because he was staring at Nixie like she was some kind of wizard while she went over the paper he'd written, and was correcting it much like a teacher would. So many red marks filled the page, and she highlighted the sections she thought were good.

Stiles didn't have a lot of highlights back then. But Noah did end up laughing because as Nixie was working, she was scolding Stiles at the same time. How he hadn't written in the lines and it was making his paper impossible to follow accurately. She kept having to skip back to make sure she was reading the correct next sentence.

When she'd finished, then she'd finally looked up at Noah. And tilting her head, she'd asked, "Are you Stiles' dad? The sheriff?"

He'd nodded, still trying to hide his laughter as he answered, "I am."

She looked him over once more, and then pointed at Stiles and said, "Then he should be arrested for poor grammar and mechanics. I have never seen such a disgraceful paper in my life. And I know I'm barely twelve… but still!"

To most, it would seem an odd way to begin a friendship. But Stiles couldn't help but find her adorable. Scary as well… but also adorable. She talked big and could back up her words with actions, but she was short. She always had been.

Stiles told Scott she was like a compact ninja that someone could try to carry around in their pocket. And Nixie almost hit him in the back of the head for that, except Scott assured her that he meant it as a compliment. Back then… it had been hard to tell when Stiles meant something as a compliment. Like it was said before, her own sarcastic wit was nothing compared to Stiles.

Anyways, so Stiles kept her around. He's also pretty sure that even if he hadn't tried to keep her around, she would've returned regularly anyway, if only so she could save the world from his poorly written papers and essays. She took over reviewing Scott's as well, much to Melissa's relief. And in return, the boys always provided meals at whichever house they ended up at.

Nixie knows she'll never be able to express just how much she appreciates those free meals.

Anyways, now their heading into high school. Summer is now officially over, and it's back to the grind.

Well, Nixie believes summer is officially over. Stiles is determined that it will not actually be over until morning tomorrow. Which means that there is still time to do one more amazing thing before they go back to school.

Scott looks over at where she's sitting on the steps, and then turns back to Stiles and asks, "Stiles, what the hell are you doing?"

Stiles, still hanging upside down at the moment, exclaims, "You weren't answering your phone!"

"That's when you call Nixie! Because she always answers the phone!"

Nixie holds up a finger and says, "Point to Scott. I did answer my phone. And then he dragged me out here to join him in abducting you from your house."

Turning and twisting his head towards her, Stiles declares, "We're not abducting him. Yet."

Nixie just points at Stiles, "I rest my case."

Scott grins a little at her, and then looks back at Stiles, who asks him, "Why do you have a bat?"

Looking at it, and then back at Stiles again, he answers, "I thought you were a predator."

Nixie holds up another finger, and then says, "Point to me. I told you he wasn't going to know it was you, Stiles."

Stiles huffs at her, and then says, "Okay, but seriously. A predator? I mean… come on Scott." Scott just shrugs, so Stiles rolls his eyes and presses on, "Alright, look. I know it's late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called."

Nixie checks her phone and says, "More like thirty minutes now. Sorry… continue."

Stiles nods at her in appreciation for the accuracy, "Anyways. They're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Department, and even state police."

Scott shrugs for a moment, looking to Nixie for explanation. And on this point, she stresses, "It's big. Two joggers found a body in the woods."

Eyes widening, Scott asks, "A dead body?"

Stiles flips down from the roof, and then turns to Scott and says in exasperation, "No, a body of water."

Nixie laughs, and Scott gives her a look, but she just says, "Oh come on. Yes, dumbass. They found a dead body. Like finding any other type of body in the woods matters."

Scott looks between them, and then asks, "So… you mean like murdered?"

Stiles shakes his head frantically, "Nobody knows yet."

To which Nixie adds, "They just know it was a girl, probably in her twenties."

Scott turns to her, and then asks, "So… wait… if they found the body, then what are they in the woods looking for?"

Stiles grins and says, "That's the best part. They only found half."

Nixie raises an eyebrow, and then says to Scott before he can ask her anything, "Yes, I also find it disturbing that this is the part he thinks is best in the story."

Stiles just looks between them, wide eyes asking how they can disagree. "What?! It's… It's…"

Nixie raises her eyebrow again, "It's morbid? It's terrible? It's human sacrifice and ritual? Please Stiles, tell me which of those makes that part of the story so grand?"

Stiles stares at them both, and then says, "Okay, you know what… whatever. Bottom line is… we're going."

In the back of the jeep, Scott asks Nixie, "How'd he talk you into this?"

"He said he was going whether I came or not. And letting him go alone isn't an option. What if he hurts himself?"

Glancing back at his best friend in the driver's seat, Scott feels the need to point out, "He always hurts himself."

And then he laughs when Nixie exclaims, "Exactly!"

* * *

"We're really doing this?"

Stiles turns to Scott when he says that, and then replies, "You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town."

Nixie nods at that, and then shrugs at Scott before adding, "What? I'm sure things happen in this town sometimes. They just generally don't happen to us. But the night is young, so that is all liable to change." Walking past them and past the chain blocking the entrance, she hollers back, "Come on guys. Can't find half of a dead body just standing around."

Scott sighs as he catches up to her, "I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow."

Nixie shrugs, "You should've thought of that argument when we were still at your house. Might've worked there. But we're here now."

Stiles jumps in, "Exactly! And what do you need the sleep for? Like sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort."

Scott huffs indignantly, "No. Because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line."

Smirking, Stiles exclaims, "Hey! That's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one."

And now Scott grins when he looks up in time to see Nixie land a swift smack to the back of Stiles head. The boy ducks down from the impact, and then spins around and says, "Hey! What…"

Nixie just raises an eyebrow, "The crushing of dreams is a noble task, dear sir. But you will refrain from crushing the dreams of your best friend. Consequently, you aren't allowed to crush mine either, though none of mine are so set in stone yet that you could crush them. In any case, my point is… leave him alone." Then she drops back with Scott, "And yes, you will make first line. And it's going to be a great first year of high school."

"You really think?"

"I have confidence sir, and that is half way to making a thing true. Now we just need it to actually happen."

Scott grins at her, and then turns to look at Stiles. Tilting his head, he asks, "Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"

Stiles pauses for a moment, and then says, "Huh. I didn't even think about that." Scott and Nixie both look at each other, and Nixie just shakes her head while smiling. This hadn't exactly been what she'd wanted to do on the night before school either. But Stiles wouldn't be Stiles if he hadn't dragged them out here, and so here she was. And whether they found this dead body or not… it was still great just to be spending time with two of her favorite people in the world.

Of course, then Scott brings up, "Also, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?"

Nixie freezes for a second, because even though Stiles occasionally let slip an important detail now and then… she usually didn't. And even she hadn't thought of that. And as Stiles admits to as much as well, Nixie puts an arm around Scott and says, "Don't worry. I will kick his or her ass and then we can turn them in to Stiles' dad for an award."

Scott grins down at her. But not in amusement though. It's just an affectionate grin, because he knows she's quite serious. Ever since they'd become friends with her, Scott and Stiles hadn't had as much trouble with bullies; either to their faces or behind their backs. And that was because of Nixie.

The most vivid memory Scott has of her protecting him like that is when he'd had an asthma attack in school one day. One of the older boys from the lacrosse team was supposed to take him to the nurse to wait for his mom and an emergency inhaler. And on the way, the boy taking him to the nurse kept picking on him, flicking him in the head and shoving him forward. It obviously didn't help Scott's asthma, and he wanted to ask for help, but it wasn't like he could yell or anything.

That's when Nixie appeared, seemingly out of thin air. And there was no warning other than that, when she suddenly pounced and leapt at the older lacrosse player.

It was the first time Scott fully understood what Stiles meant when he'd called her a compact ninja. Nixie was short even today, but she'd been even tinier back then, and not nearly as filled out. And still, she managed to pound on the lacrosse player until he was bleeding from his nose and lying on the ground beneath her. She didn't quit until someone, a teacher from a nearby classroom, managed to pry her off him.

She got suspended from school for two days. The boy's parents wanted her gone for longer than that, but Melissa made a strong case for Nixie protecting her son.

In any case, the point of that story is that Nixie could handle herself. She might not be the most trained fighter anyone had ever seen, but they knew she'd taken several courses already after school in CQC (Close Quarters Combat), and she was just scrappy in general, and tough… and when it came to protecting Stiles and Scott, she always managed to come out on top. As though somehow, when it came to them, losing wasn't an option for her.

And he knows that in her mind, it isn't.

As they reach the top of a hill, Scott grabbing for his inhaler and taking a squeeze, they drop to the ground upon seeing the many flashlights lining the woods in front of them. Scott and Nixie look at each other, and then Nixie whispers to Stiles, "What now, oh brilliant one?"

He points what she imagines is supposed to be a serious finger at her, "Sarcasm not appreciated."

She just raises an eyebrow and stresses, "Serious question."

Stiles glances at her, and then scrambles up and says, "Come on!"

Scott rolls his eyes, "Stiles wait!"

Nixie, who had managed to follow Stiles closely at first, pauses and hangs back for Scott. She knows he's having a harder time then they are, what with his asthma and all. Waiting for him to catch up, she puts a hand on his back when he bends over and gasps for air. "Just breathe Scott. We're fine."

Her head snaps to the side though when she hears Stiles scream and scramble in the dirt as a dog barks in his face. The officer in charge of the dog, shouts, "Hold it right there!" Nixie and Scott move closer, finding a tree to hide behind.

That's when they hear Noah say, "Hang on, hang on." Sighing as he looks down at his son, he says, "This little delinquent belongs to me."

And Nixie had to clamp a hand over her mouth to not laugh when Stiles simply asks, "Dad, how you doing?"

Noah just asks back, "So, do you listen in to all of my phone calls?"

"No." But at his dad's skeptical look, Stiles edits, "Not the boring ones."

Noah shakes his head with a sigh. "And where are your usual partners in crime?"

Stiles laughs, "What, you mean Scott and Nix?" Laughing again, trying to make it sound like that's ridiculous, he adds, "Scott's home. He said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. So… it's just me… in the woods… alone."

Noah just gives him a look, "Even if Scott is in bed, and I highly doubt he is… I know for a fact Nixie wouldn't have stayed home if she knew you were going to be out in the woods by yourself." Shining his light into the woods, he shouts, "Nixie! Scott! You out there?"

No response.

Noah sighs, knowing that even if Nixie is out there, she'll at least be smart enough to leave if she knows Stiles is no longer out searching for the body. So he grabs Stiles and says, "Well young man. I'm gonna walk you to your car. And you and I are gonna have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy."

"Nixie invades my privacy all the time!"

"Going through your bookbag to check your homework and papers doesn't count. That's just her… knowing you need help to get a good grade."

As their voices fade, Nixie sighs in relief. "Come on Scott. Let's just head back towards the jeep. If we get there fast enough, Stiles will only have to drive a little way and we can catch up to him once Noah's gone."

Scott nods, but even the thought of jogging right now hurts his lungs. Shaking his head at her, he says, "I can't run. You should…"

She cuts him off firmly, "I'm not just leaving you out here so I can go catch Stiles. Come on. Even if we miss him… we'll have excellent company to share on the walk home."

He grins at her, and then follows as she leads the way back through the woods.

They stop after a while though, Nixie thinking it would be good to give Scott a break so he wouldn't need his inhaler again. Then she hears... well, she's not certain. Might've been nothing at all. So she asks, "You hear anything, Scott?"

He shrugs, "I thought I did, but then I thought it might've just been the wind."

Nixie nods to that, but frowns at the woods around them anyway. She suddenly didn't like the idea of staying here any longer than necessary. Turning back to Scott, she begins, "Well, in any case, we…"

And that's when the deer start sprinting at them, seemingly from out of nowhere. Scott's eyes widen as one nearly tramples him, but Nixie grabs him and knocks him down and out of the way. Keeping herself on top of him, she says, "Stay down!"

She considers it a miracle that not one of the deer actually steps on or falls on them. Sighing once they're gone, Nixie lifts herself up and asks, "You alright?"

Scott nods, but then says, "My inhaler. I… I think I dropped it."

Nixie nods to that, rising to her feet and glancing around. Not seeing it in the immediate vicinity, she holds out a hand for him, "Alright. Let's get looking. Because we need to get out of here. The sooner the better."

They pull out their phones and both start scanning the ground for his inhaler. And Nixie's just about to call it a lost cause, when she jerks around as she hears Scott shout in horror.

Well, that answered the question of which half of the body they were looking for. The top half, apparently.

Nixie gags at the sight, but then runs past it to look down the hill that Scott just fell down. Scanning the area for him, she sighs in relief when she sees him rising to his feet near a fallen tree. Shouting down, she asks, "You alright, Scott?"

"Yeah. I hit my back pretty hard. But I think…" He'd no sooner started trying to make his way back up to her when he screams again, and Nixie recognizes his cry as one of pain as she tries to hurry down to him. Was it the killer? Was he or she going to make Scott their next victim?

Hell no.

Nixie grabs a large branch on her way down, and doesn't even pause to consider how abnormally large the wolf is that is biting into Scott's side. She just reels back and then smacks it in the face as hard as she can. The wolf's head snaps back, but as he starts growling, Nixie grabs Scott and yells, "Come on!"

She doesn't even know where they're going anymore, which is why when they break through the tree-line and hit the pavement, it's as much a surprise to her as it is to Scott.

And to top off all the bad events of the night, Nixie and Scott nearly get run over by a large SUV rolling down the road. Seriously? What the hell?

After it passes, thankfully not hitting them, Nixie and Scott just stand there for a moment in silence. Then Scott lifts up the side of his shirt, and says, "He… he bit me."

Nixie moves to look at the wound, and it is the hugest bite mark she's ever seen. Glaring at it, she says, "I'm going hunting sometime soon and I will track and kill him."

Scott blinks at her, "Do you even know how to track?"

"It was a huge ass black wolf that was at least two times the size of a normal wolf. How hard could it possibly be to find?"

Scott shrugs, and then as Nixie pulls one of his arms over her shoulders, he says, "I can walk. You don't have to…"

"Scott, you were just bitten and nearly killed by a wolf. You will allow me to worry about you and you will keep your arm around me so if you do start to fall, I don't have to wonder whether I'll be quick enough to catch you. Got me?"

Scott grins, and in spite of the pain in his side, says in a relieved tone, "Yes ma'am."

And then he laughs when she adds, "And remind me to smack Stiles in the head again when we see him tomorrow. This was stupid. Like… even for him. And you got bit. And now I need to hit something."

"And hitting Stiles is the solution?"

"Well, I can't hit you, and he is the reason we were out here. Makes sense to me." They both stop walking as they hear a long and loud howl from deep within the woods. Pulling Scott more firmly along, Nixie adds, "So help me, if we actually die out here tonight, I'm coming back as a ghost and I will haunt Stiles for the rest of his life."

Scott squeezes her a little tighter in a hug, "I'll join you."

"Good."

* * *

Nixie was in the parking lot the next morning waiting for Scott. It was kind of a daily ritual for them. Nixie and Scott would meet at the bicycle rack, and then they'd go find Stiles together.

Nixie smiles as Scott rolls up on his bike. Grinning at her, he says, "In spite of last night being a catastrophe, today is going to be great. I can tell."

"I'm glad you can. I woke up this morning with a flat tire."

"Ouch. Sorry about that."

Shrugging, Nixie says, "It's okay. Not like it's your fault or anything."

Which is very true. But it wasn't an accident either. The tires on her bike had been slashed. And it wasn't even normal in that sense either. The slashes weren't straight or clean, but jagged, as though someone had taken to trying to simply tear the tires apart by hand, and had actually succeeded. But Scott didn't need to worry about that. He still had his 'bite' issue to deal with. Nodding to him, deciding that her problems can wait, Nixie asks, "How's the bite?"

He's about to tell her, when a sleek gray car pulls up, and the door opens and knocks Scott forward into the bikes.

Nixie glares as Jackson steps out of his car and says to Scott, "Dude… watch the paint job."

He's about to walk off at that, over to some of his friends calling his name, when he nearly walks into Nixie, who put herself right in his path. Now… Jackson wasn't exactly the smartest person you'd ever met. Sure, he got descent grades and he was good at playing lacrosse and devising strategy for the game. But when it came to understanding just who he could mess with and who he couldn't… well, he couldn't seem to ever get it straight in his head.

Until he was looking down into Nixie's blue eyes, which always seemed to harden when she was looking at him.

It's worth mentioning that Nixie would probably never actually hurt Jackson… at least not beyond repair anyway. He was dating Lydia, who was Nixie's best friend in the realm of girls. Nixie was definitely one of the girls who was more comfortable hanging with the boys. She didn't like shopping all that much, didn't wear dresses unless the occasion required it, and she'd just as soon punch a boy in the face for touching her butt than she would smile and flirt with one of them.

But… well, Stiles has had his thing for Lydia since before he even knew Nixie. And when he saw an opportunity to possibly exist more inside of her world, he was all up for trying to take it.

His in was Nixie. Because though she was a girl who could hang with the boys easily, she was also smart. Obviously, since she was editing their papers since elementary school, but in general she was just rather intelligent.

Okay… she's kind of brilliant. Not as brilliant as Lydia, mind you. Still, they have several of the same classes together, more so than Stiles or Scott have ever had with her all in the same year. So, when it became apparent that Nixie and Lydia would always see a lot of each other, Stiles suggested that Nixie become her friend.

It was easier than it sounded actually. Nixie didn't overthink it a whole lot. She just started sitting next to Lydia in their classes rather than sit by herself. She started editing Lydia's papers while they were still in class if she had time near the end. And the first time she did that, Lydia was almost offended. Because even though Lydia was smart, Nixie still found several mistakes and marked the paper with red before handing it back to her. But then Lydia started editing Nixie's papers as well, which Nixie greatly appreciated. For all the good she did when proofreading Stiles' and Scott's papers, she could still never quite perfect her own. Apparently, according to one English professor, she never knew when to let a sentence end and then let the next one begin.

Lydia started doing that for her while proofreading. And after that… well, they started talking. Nixie even sacrificed a few afternoons to go shopping with Lydia. Which wasn't all as bad as it sounded. Lydia would even buy a few things for Nixie whenever she saw something that she felt would look great on her.

Anyways… point of this being, Nixie and Lydia are friends now. Actual friends. So Nixie would never hurt Jackson so much that it would really hurt Lydia's feelings.

That didn't mean she was above punching him in the 'pretty face' that he valued so much. And he knew it. Which is why he backed off from her and Scott and said, "Uh… just… I'll be easier with the door… uh… bye."

The boy was an idiot sometimes. But at least he knew when to just back the hell off. Sighing, Nixie turns to Scott, "Now, where were we?"

Scott smiles at her, and then gestures further in the parking lot, "Stiles is that way."

"Alright. Did you already tell him about the bite?"

"Yeah. I'll show it to both of you. I need you to check and make sure I put on the bandages right."

"You're working for the best vet in town. Not exactly a doctor, but I'm sure that qualifies you for knowing how to use bandages."

She would check them anyway though. When she'd finally gotten him home last night, she'd snuck in with him and tended to the wound herself, reminding him before leaving that he needed to change them in the morning after he showered.

When they find Stiles, he immediately jumps in with, "Okay, let's see this thing." Scott lifts his shirt to show the bandage. And it's a little more crooked than Nixie would've put it, but Scott did it himself. It wasn't going to be perfect. Nodding in approval, she then snaps her hand down over Stiles wrist when he makes like he might reach out and touch it. Looking up at her, he asks, "What? I just…"

"It's a bite, dumbass. As in, still hurts and is sensitive. You don't just touch it."

"Oh fine!"

Scott nods, and then says, "It was too dark to see much, but I'm pretty sure it was a wolf. Nixie saw it too, so…"

Nixie nods in confirmation, "A big ass wolf, but a wolf nonetheless." Stiles looks between the two of them skeptically, so Nixie asks, "What?"

He sighs, not really wanting to contradict her. He was smarter then he let most people know, but Nixie was still smarter than him, so he knew she probably saw exactly what she says she did. Still, he explains, "It's just… California doesn't have wolves. Not for like… sixty years."

Scott asks, "Really?"

"Yes really! There are no wolves in California."

It relieves Stiles when, rather then get offended, which he honestly should've known wouldn't happen anyway, Nixie simply shrugs and says, "First time for everything."

Stiles gives her a look, but then jerks to Scott when he says, "Well, if you don't believe us about the wolf, then you definitely won't believe me when I tell you that we found the body?"

"Oh my God! Really?"

Scott nods, and when Stiles looks at Nixie, she nods too and says with a grimace, "Disgusting. I almost threw up."

Stiles sticks his tongue out in disgusts, "Alright Nix. A little too much info for me."

She shrugs again, "Shouldn't have sent me out body-hunting in the middle of the night. Also shouldn't have abandoned me and Scott in the woods."

"Hey! If I hadn't left, my dad would've definitely gone back in looking for you guys."

Nixie then grins and asks, "So… you're the hero then? In that case, let me shower you with praises."

"Now you're talking. Oh, but that is awesome. This is gonna be the best thing that's happened to this town since… since…" Nixie sees the look in his eyes and knows instantly that he's spotted Lydia. And it's confirmed when he says, "Since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia… you look… like you're gonna ignore me." And she does, but once she's past him she glances Nixie's way and says, "See you in class."

Nixie just nods, "Yep."

Stiles huffs and turns to Scott and accuses sarcastically, "You're the cause of this you know. Dragging me down to your nerd depths. I've been scarlet nerded by you. You'd better be happy we were best friends before I met Nixie. With her I get invited to parties as a plus one and get to see more Lydia."

Nixie just grins at Scott's briefly worried expression. Wrapping an arm around him, she assures, "Don't worry Scott. I still would've become friends with you somehow. If for no other reason than so I can enjoy your mom's cooking, when she has time to cook." Scott smiles and then puts an arm around her shoulders in return as they head inside to class.

* * *

While in class, Nixie doesn't miss how Scott suddenly flinches, as though she'd just smacked him in the back of the head. Consequently, that reminds her that she needs to do that to Stiles.

Watching him in concern as he looks around in confusion, she doesn't miss when his eyes come to rest somewhere outside the windows. She tries to look to see what he's looking at, but she's too far away from the windows to get a good view.

Scott's head slowly turns, and Nixie is about to lean over and ask if he's okay, when the door of the class opens and the principal walks in.

"Class, this is our new student, Alison Argent. Please do your best to make her feel welcome."

Alison walks in and takes the seat directly behind Scott. And then Scott turns to her and hands her a pen. He doesn't even say anything. Just hands her the pen. Which, she apparently did need, because she took it gratefully.

Nixie raises an eyebrow at Scott when he turns back around, but he just grins at her triumphantly and settles back into his seat.

* * *

In the hall later, walking up to her locker, Nixie turns in surprise when she sees Alison coming up right beside her. Apparently they share this set of lockers. Cool.

And apparently no one told Alison how tricky they can be. Shutting her own locker door and moving closer, Nixie says, "Here. Read me the combination" Alison looks up in surprise, stuttering for a moment. Nixie just raises an eyebrow, "Promise I don't want to steal anything. But this is your first day. You're gonna need like a week in training before you can open these suckers. Their ancient. Like… old and mummified in Egypt type ancient."

Alison finally laughs, and then reads off the combination so Nixie can open the door. Tugging it aside, she then says, "I'm Nixie by the way."

"Alison. Obviously. We have first period together?"

"One and the same."

Alison smiles again, and then asks, "Um… who was the kid in front of me? The boy with the shaggier hair?"

Nixie smiles, "Scott. Scott McCall."

"How'd he know I needed a pen?"

"Now that, I have no idea about. His powers of ESP were apparently on point this morning."

Alison laughs again, and then asks, "Are you always this sarcastic?"

"Generally speaking. You get used to me though."

Alison nods, and then they both turn when Lydia walks up and says, "That jacket is absolutely killer. Where'd you get it?"

Alison shrugs, "My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco."

Lydia grins, "And you are my new best friend."

To which Nixie throws up her hands, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Lydia looks at her, giving a rare affectionate smile, and then says, "Okay. Sorry Alison. You're second after Nixie. She's kind of permanently cemented herself as number one."

Alison looks confused for a second, like she's not quite sure how to take that. But Nixie puts an arm through hers and says, "Don't be offended. You'll find I'm extremely hard to replace. Not that you'll want to anyway, once I become your best friend too."

And Alison is laughing again. Well, until she sees Nixie's smile fall and her eyes harden upon Jackson's arrival. Lydia smiles up at her boyfriend, but doesn't miss how Jackson expertly keeps his eyes away from looking at Nixie. They'd apparently already had a confrontation, and it was only the first day back in school.

Turning back to the girls, Lydia says, "So, this weekend, there's a party."

Jackson nods and adds, "Yeah, on Friday. You should come."

Nixie knows he's not actually referring to her so much as he's talking to Alison. But Lydia looks to Nixie expectantly, waiting for an answer. Nodding, she says, "I'll see what I can do."

Lydia nods, smiling appreciatively, and then looks to Alison.

Alison shifts uncomfortably, and then manages to say, "I can't. It's family night this Friday. Thanks for asking though."

Jackson asks, "You sure? Everyone's going after the scrimmage."

Alison perks up a bit, "You mean like football?"

Nixie grins at that and leans a bit closer, her arm still linked with Alison's. Then she whispers, "Here it comes."

And then Jackson says passionately, "Football's a joke in Beacon. The sport here is lacrosse. We've won the state championship for the past three years."

Lydia smiles, "Because of a certain team captain."

Nixie feels Alison put a hand over hers and squeeze a little. She obviously felt a little embarrassed that she didn't already know about lacrosse. Gently squeezing her arm, Nixie whispers, "You'd think we didn't even have a football team the way he talks. 'Lacrosse is life.' Yeah, right up until he leaves high school and figures out the rest of the world loves football and doesn't even know what lacrosse is."

Alison smiles again, relaxing a little. Then Jackson mentions having practice and when Alison is about to suggest going somewhere else, Lydia jumps in and says, "Perfect, you're coming."

As they walk down the hall, Nixie keeps Alison's arm linked with hers and says, "You should make a note. Lydia is a good friend to have. But there are times when she is a force of nature to be reckoned with."

Alison turns to her and asks, "And in those times?"

Nixie grins, "You have two options. One is to simply let down the sails and see where her wind will take you. And the other is to paddle as hard as you can to go in the opposite direction and hope you have the strength for an escape."

Alison laughs again, and then sighs and says, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me laugh, I guess. And for making my first day a little easier."

Nixie waves a hand at her dismissively, "This is just me being me. Thank me when I've actually done something impressive. Like helped you ace a term paper when you only have one more night to finish writing it. Then you should thank me. And I accept warm hugs and Reese cups as method of thanks, just FYI."

* * *

Out at the bleachers, Nixie waves at Scott when he looks over from his position in the goal. He waves back, and then Alison asks Lydia, "Do you know who that is?"

Obviously Alison already knows, but she wants to hear another opinion aside from Nixie's. And Nixie isn't offended. It's smart, to get more than one opinion.

But then Nixie frowns when Lydia says, "Him? I'm not sure who he is."

Leaning forward, Nixie says, "Lydia. Remember when we had a talk about how sometimes you let your head get a little bit too big? And we discussed that if I have to, I'm not above also hitting you in the back of the head to make it shrink?"

Nixie smiles sweetly, but Lydia doesn't miss the glint in her eyes. And honestly, she knew better anyway. Nixie was Lydia's greatest friend. A real friend in every sense of the word. Nixie knew that she was a genius, and that when she graduated from high school she was going to start college with enough credits to almost complete a Bachelor's degree in just one year. And ninety-nine percent of the time, Lydia knew for certain that Nixie would never do anything to harm her.

But the one percent of the time that Nixie just might, was when Lydia did something that was offensive towards her two other friends, Scott and Stiles. Which is why Lydia doesn't argue. She just looks to Alison sheepishly and edits, "That one's Scott McCall."

Alison nods, and then turns to Nixie and whispers, "Should I be afraid of you if I happen to forget his name?"

Nixie grins, "No. You're new. And like I said, Lydia sometimes lets her head get a little too big. Just don't let yours get that way, and we'll be right as rain. But be warned, I will smack you upside the head if I think it's necessary to knock sense back into you."

Alison ponders that for a moment, and then asks, "And if your head gets too big?"

"Then please hit me, because I hate drama and can't afford to have a big head."

Alison laughs, "Fair enough."

And then Alison jumps when Nixie jerks to her feet as Scott hits the ground, having taken a ball to the face mask. She can't help but smile again though as she watches Nixie glares at the person who threw it. Nixie obviously knew there was nothing she could do about it. The game involved throwing the ball at the net, and Scott should've moved. Still, she looked like a lion preparing to pounce on it's prey.

Alison had never had a friend like that. She'd never stayed anywhere long enough to make any really good friends. But maybe this time, things would be different. And she smiles again when Nixie sits back down and slips her arm back through Alison's, as though they were already best friends and it was just natural for them to sit this close.

Turning back to the game, both girls then look in surprise when Scott, who a second ago had fallen down after getting hit with a ball, suddenly catches one as though it were the simplest thing he'd ever done in his life. Nixie can tell that Scott is stunned too. And she can't help but laugh when she sees Stiles on the bench below them lean back in surprise before shouting, "Yeah! Whoa!"

Scott keeps on catching them, and when Nixie points out the coach's face to Alison and Lydia, they all laugh at the stunned expression that rests there.

And then Jackson comes up to throw, and Nixie almost wants to glare at him for clearly trying to be intimidating and make Scott fail.

But she's all smiles again when it doesn't work and Scott catches his toss as simply as he'd caught all the others. Stiles jumps up from his seat and throws his arms around in victory, shouting, "That is my friend!"

And Nixie appreciates that even Lydia stands up and cheers at Scott's great accomplishment. Nixie would give Jackson this much. He was an excellent lacrosse player, so catching his toss should've been extremely tricky. And Scott had done it. It was worth standing up for. So even when Jackson turns to look at her, as though asking what the fuck she thought she was doing, Lydia just gave him a look and went back to cheering.

All in all, it was a great day. Just as Scott said it would be.

* * *

At Lydia's car later, Nixie says, "Hey. Let me know when you want to get started on the history essay."

"Sure thing. And yes, I'll make sure Jackson isn't around when I call you."

"Excellent." She starts to walk away after that, but then pauses and says, "Lydia." Lydia stands up from where she'd been about to sit down in her car. And she straightens further when Nixie adds, "Be real with me for a moment."

Lydia knows what she means by that. It wasn't that being stylish or wearing her makeup and all that was something fake about Lydia. She liked to shop and she liked to make herself look pretty. That was all her. But Lydia also let the rest of the world think she was an empty-headed, kind of untalented, 'just a pretty face', kind of girl.

Nixie knew better. And when they were alone, Nixie was the only person Lydia let herself just… be herself around. But there were times when Nixie would ask for Lydia to 'be real' with her, and Lydia would always listen.

Nixie comes back to her and says, "Look. I'm not going to lecture you on Jackson. I know you love him and you know I think he's a jackass that isn't worth your time." Lydia nods. It had become apparent long ago that they might never agree on Jackson as a person. Nixie nods, and then says, "I know he's yours, and you know that means I don't want to have to hurt him. He's important to you, and I respect that."

Lydia nods again, and then Nixie takes a breath before continuing on with her next sentence. "But I will beat the crap out of him, if he doesn't learn to remember that Scott and Stiles are off limits. We clear on that?"

Lydia just stares at her for a moment, and then she smiles a little and says, "And if he ever hurts me?"

"The boy had better sprint his way to hell, because it will be a picnic compared to what I do to him."

Smiling wider, Lydia says, "I'll understand."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Lydia drives off, Nixie is making her way back to the bike rack, when she spots Alison walking down the sidewalk towards an SUV out front. Looking down at her phone, she rereads the text she got from Stiles. _"Meeting in the woods after practice. Coming?"_ She'd answered yes, which meant she only had about twenty minutes left to get there.

But they'd wait for her if she was late. And besides, this was important. Because if Alison was going to be one of Nixie's friends, she needed to know the rule.

With that in mind, Nixie turns and runs after her. "Hey Alison!"

Chris looks from his daughter to the girl running towards them, and then asks, "Who is that?" But at Alison's smile, he knows it's not a person he needs to worry about. In fact, Alison seemed to relax even more just because the girl was coming over.

Maybe because it would confirm that Alison was trying to make friends. In any case, Alison replied, "That's Nixie. She's the one that helped me with my locker today."

When she reaches them, Nixie points at her and says, "I have an extremely important task that you need to do right now."

Alison can't help smiling again, happy that Nixie is content to be herself, even with her dad present. Nodding, she says, "Sure. Anything."

Nixie nods back and then commands, as though she were a marine sergeant giving out commands, "Take out your phone." Alison does, and then when Nixie recites her number, Alison punches it in. Then Nixie explains, "Now, you must listen carefully young grasshopper. I am about to reveal to you the secret to a long and happy and fruitful life."

Chris raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't interrupt when Nixie steps closer, as though revealing a deep secret of the universe.

And then Alison bursts into laughter when Nixie says, "Call me for anything."

It wasn't so much the statement itself that was funny. Just all the suspense Nixie put around it. Nixie grins, but then straightens herself up and emphasizes, "Okay. In all seriousness though, I mean it. We're friends now, right?" Alison nods, happy to have Nixie here confirming in front of her father that she had indeed at least made one friend. Then Nixie says, "So you call me. For anything. It's a rule. Lydia can tell you later. But literally anything. Homework help, some guy won't leave you alone, you had a bad day… you need me to help you bury a dead body in the woods…" And now Chris laughs too. Nixie grins and then shrugs, "Anyway, you get the idea."

Alison nods, "I will write this rule down."

"Excellent." Then Nixie finally looks to Chris and says, "Hi. I'm Nixie. I would've said that sooner, but as you can see, I had an important situation to handle first."

Chis just nods, "Obviously so. I'm Alison's father, Chris Argent."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Argent. Word of warning, I will probably end up calling you Chris."

He nods again and then asks, "Not that I'm offended, but why?"

Nixie shrugs, "I'm pretty sure I like you. And I don't typically address friends by their last names. Ask the sheriff. He's a friend, and all I ever call him is Noah. Even at the station." Then she turns back to Alison, "Oh, and one last thing. That paper we have to write? Let me know when you do. I can proofread it and guarantee you, like, at least an A-."

"Wow. Thanks."

Nixie nods, and then checks her phone. "Shoot, I'm late. Sorry, but I've got to go. See you tomorrow?"

"You bet."

As she runs away, Nixie manages to hear Chris say, "She seems nice, Alison."

Alison can't help grinning as Nixie begins pedaling away from the building at lightning speed. "Dad, you have no idea."

* * *

Nixie is confused as hell. She doesn't have the suddenly keen senses that Scott is developing, but she's sure that this is the spot where the body had been last night. Scott finally stops at the exact point where he saw the body, and confirms, "It should be here."

At Stiles' skeptical look, Scott turns to Nixie for support, and she adds dumbfounded, "This is where it should be. You rolled and fell down the hill right up there."

Scott sighs in annoyance and then Stiles suggests, "Maybe the killer moved the body."

Scott looks up at that, "Well, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things cost like eighty bucks."

Nixie nods, "I've got forty to spare if you need it."

Okay. She didn't have forty to spare. But she did have forty that she'd give him, and that was the point.

And when Stiles starts talking about the possibility of Scott becoming a 'werewolf', Nixie slaps him upside the head and says, "Just start looking for the inhaler, wise-ass."

"Yes ma'am, head-slap queen." Nixie laughs and shoves him over to start looking. She's about to bend down and start looking for it too, when she pauses upon hearing something behind her. Turning around, she glares at the figure now standing there. Putting herself in front of Scott and Stiles, she says, "Guys."

The man, for his part, tilts his head at her, as though confused about why she was moving closer to him, rather than further away. Then he starts coming up to them. Scott puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder, "Nix… he's…"

But she just shakes her head and assures, "I got this."

Which… well, she wasn't entirely sure she did. Taking on fellow high schoolers and even seniors twice her size was one thing. But this guy… she could just tell there was something different about him. Something that wasn't exactly normal. Something she hadn't ever had to fight off before.

But that didn't change the fact that he'd have to go through her first to get to Stiles and Scott.

Reaching them, he then asks, "What are you doing here? This is private property."

Stiles puts a hand on Nixie's elbow, trying to silently tell her to stay calm, as he said, "Sorry man, we didn't know."

Scott nods and adds, "Yeah, we were just looking for something… but… uh… forget it."

The man looks between the two boys, and then to Nixie, whose eyes have not left his. Then he pulls Scott's inhaler out of his pocket and tosses it to them. Nixie snatches it out of the air and then tosses it back to Scott, still not looking away from this stranger. He looks at the three of them one last time, eyes lingering on Nixie for a moment longer than the rest, and then he turns around and walks away.

Scott sighs in relief, pocketing the inhaler in the safety of his pocket. "Come on guys. I gotta get to work."

But apparently, the stranger wasn't exactly a stranger. Because Stiles jerks around to look at both of them and exclaims, "Guys! That was Derek Hale." Nixie draws a complete blank on that name, but Stiles looks to Scott and tries to remind him, "It was before she got here, but you remember right? He's only like a few years older than us."

Scott still shrugs and asks, "Remember what?"

"His family! They all burned to death in a fire, like, ten years ago."

The boys discuss it all the way back, but are no closer to solving the mystery of why Derek might be back when they get to their respective modes of transportation.

As they're leaving, Scott turns to Nixie and says, "By the way, thanks."

"For what?"

Scott just smiles at her, and then says, "You make this easier."

Nixie nods, not really knowing what she's doing that's so special, but says anyway, "I'm here for you Scott. Always. And call me for anything."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you later."

* * *

"What the hell is going on with you, McCall?!"

Nixie comes around the corner faster than a missile, and to his credit, Jackson immediately steps back from pinning Scott to the lockers. Scott has enough to deal with, what with sleep walking into the woods at night and going through changes that no other already hormonal teenager should have to go through. Nixie is not about to let Jackson add himself to the list of important problems to deal with.

Glaring at him, Nixie says, "The next time you lay hands on either of my boys, I will break one of them, and we'll see how well you play lacrosse one handed. Got me?"

He nods shakily, and then turns back to Scott, who explodes, "What's going on with me? You really wanna know? Well, so would I!"

Before he can say more, Nixie holds up a hand to him, "Scott. Remember, we're not his friends." He looks at her for a moment, and then nods. Turning back to Jackson, who is glaring at Scott again, Nixie steps up and asks, "Really? You really want to test my patience right now?"

He takes off without another word, and then Nixie turns to Scott and says, "Alright, out with it."

Hands in his hair, gripping his head, Scott lets out a frustrated sigh, "I just… I don't know! I can see, hear, and smell things that I shouldn't be able to. I'm doing things that should be impossible, at least for me. I'm sleepwalking, three miles into the woods, and… and I'm pretty much convinced that I'm totally out of my freaking mind!"

Leaning back against the lockers, Scott then sighs in relief. Nixie smiles gently at him and asks, "Better?"

He even lets out a tiny laugh before answering, "Yeah. Much better. Thanks. I didn't mean to…"

"We all need to vent sometime Scott. Better it be with me than that jackass over there."

"Amen to that."

* * *

"No Scott! You're not going to believe what the animal was!"

But Scott takes off. He's starting in the game today, so he can't wait and listen to what Stiles was about to say. But Nixie climbs down the bleachers and taps him on the shoulder. Turning to look at her, Stiles simply says, "It was a wolf."

Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "What was? The animal that bit Scott?"

"Well, maybe. I don't know about that. But there were animal hairs on the body in the woods, and it was wolf hair."

Nixie nods, and then says, "Told you there was a first time for everything."

Including the fact that when Scott makes first line, after doing some seriously impressive gymnastic style moves on the field, Nixie and Stiles are the only two people not incredibly enthused about it. They should be. They should be cheering for their friend and happy and thrilled for him.

Instead they look at each other, more terrified right now than anything else.

She'd thought it was ridiculous. But suddenly Stiles' lycanthropy theory doesn't sound so farfetched after all.

* * *

When Scott knocks on Stiles' door the next day and comes in, Stiles urges him to be silent. The reason being that Nixie is on his bed, curled up and sleeping. Glancing from Nixie to Stiles, Scott asks, "What? Is she sick or something?"

"What?! No. She just… Look, we were up all night doing research and she never went home. Never went to sleep either. I'll make her a cup of coffee later. First though, you need to see this."

The room is a mess, and Scott asks, "How much Adderall have you had today?"

"A lot. Not the point."

Scott settles on the end of the bed, glancing back to make sure he didn't wake up Nixie. "Is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?"

Stiles shakes his head and says, "No, they're still questioning people. Even Derek Hale."

"Oh, that guy we met in the woods!"

"Okay, yes, but that's not it!"

Scott leans back in surprise, but then smiles gently, "Okay, then what?"

"Remember the joke from the other day?"

When Scott appears to draw a blank, Stiles runs a hand over his head in distress. But then they both look as Nixie says, "Lycanthropy Scott. And it's not a joke anymore."

Her hair is down now, and she would probably consider it a mess. But both Scott and Stiles agreed long ago that Nixie was one of the prettiest girls in the world when she first woke up in the morning. Stiles had even considered that he could move on from Lydia one day, maybe, if he watched Nixie wake up like that a few times.

Nixie set him straight a long time ago on that point though. They were too much alike. _"You're sarcastic, Stiles. I'm sarcastic. We'd eventually piss each other off to a breaking point, and then we'd get a divorce and we'd fight over custody rights of the kids… it would be a mess. As friends, this works. Hell, as brother and sister, which we practically are, this works. But as lovers… this would only end in catastrophe."_ And Stiles has to admit, he agrees with her on that point.

Scott looks between both of them in confusion, "Not sure I'm following you guys."

Stiles tries to explain that they both think, at least very strongly right now, that Scott might be becoming a werewolf.

To which he gets angry and replies, "Are you guys seriously wasting my time with this? You know I'm picking up Alison in an hour."

Stiles rushes in front of him though, cutting him off from leaving right away. "We saw you on the field Scott. Okay? And what you did, it wasn't just amazing. It was impossible."

Nixie nods and adds, "At least for most humans. Certainly for a severe asthmatic."

Stiles points at her, "Exactly. And even more than that, this all happened in the last couple days. Scott, nobody just becomes that good overnight. And your senses and reflexes, and we've both noticed that you haven't used your inhaler once since you got it back from Derek."

Scott huffs, "Okay. But guys, I can't do this right now. We'll talk tomorrow."

Nixie raises an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me."

Scott turns to her and says, "Don't, alright. I'm not blowing you guys off. I've had this date planned with Alison for two days now. It's…"

"Scott… if we're right… the full moon is tonight. You do at least know what that means right?"

Scott glares at both of them and asks, "What are you guys trying to do?! I just made first line! I got a date with a girl who I can't believe wants to go out with me! Everything in my life is somehow perfect right now! Why are you guys trying to ruin that?!"

Stiles sits down and says with a sigh, "We're trying to help. You're cursed Scott." And even though Nixie isn't one hundred percent set on the idea that Scott is a werewolf, she doesn't argue right now as Stiles tries to convince Scott that he needs to be careful and take this seriously.

Though she does think it's stupid when Stiles tries to take Scott's phone and call Alison to cancel the date. She wasn't however, prepared for Scott shoving Stiles into the wall of his room, fist held in the air right in front of his face.

Scott is equally surprised by his reaction, which is also why he's surprised when someone was fast enough to stop him. Turning his head, he sees Nixie's face at his shoulder. She's got one arm around his shoulders from behind, prepared for a headlock. One of her legs is inside of his, ready to knock his body out from under him and on the ground. And she's got his arm with the fist held tight at the elbow, her own arm locked around his, preventing him from progressing forward.

Straining against him, she says, "Let him go, Scott. Let him go now."

Scott feels his body relax in her grip, tight as it might be. He wasn't sure why, but Nixie made things easier. The closer she was, the closer her scent was, the calmer he felt. It wasn't perfect, but he felt safe. It was like… like…

Home, he decided. She smelt like home, and all the security that came with being at home.

Scott slowly backed off, and then said, "I'm… I'm sorry."

Neither of them try to stop him from leaving as he goes to get ready for his party. Stiles then slams the back of his head against the wall and asks, "What did we just do? We let him go."

Nixie sighs, "We can't stop him if he really wants to go."

"Then what? What do we do?"

Nixie shrugs to that, but decides to start with something simple. "You straighten up your room. We still need more research before I'm set that this is the actual diagnosis for Scott."

"And you?"

She shrugs again, but adds determinedly, "I'm going to tail Scott."

* * *

Yep. Definitely not good.

First that stupid Derek shows up again. To her credit, Nixie is pleased to say he was just as surprised to see her there as Scott was to see him at this party. Her eyes narrowed on Derek and he again looked confused by her reactions towards him. Her lack of fear apparently baffled him to no end.

Whatever. Nixie has bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that Scott was fine one minute, and now he looks like he's in some severe kind of pain.

She was on her bike, preparing to follow him, when she spots Derek again, talking to Alison.

Hell no.

"Alison. I'm a friend of Scott's. My name's Derek."

"The hell you are."

Alison turns around and then sighs in relief upon seeing Nixie marching up to them. She might be all fury right now, but Alison knew it was only directed at Derek.

Derek, for his part, widens his eyes at her in surprise yet again. She apparently surprised him more than most people. Go figure.

Putting herself between Alison and Derek, Nixie says, "Go find some other teen to stalk, and leave my friends alone." Then, turning to face Alison, she says in a kinder tone, "I know. Scott ditched you. But it's an asthma thing. It's a rarity, but it still happens sometimes. I've seen it before and he really did have to go. But don't worry! His mom knows what to do."

The lie comes easily for the purpose of saving Scott's reputation in Alison's eyes. And Alison nods understandingly, "Yeah, I get it. Um… do you think… I mean…" Nixie tilts her head, so Alison asks, "Could you give me a lift home? I don't need to be here if Scott's not. I… I only agreed to come because he asked me."

Nixie smiles gently, "My bike isn't really built for that. But I'm pretty sure Stiles is here somewhere, so he can give you a lift, no problems. See… here he comes." She quickly tells him to take Alison home, and then hugs Alison tight, "Scott will apologize in the morning. I promise. He sometimes forgets that he can't always just run off. Sometimes he should at least try to explain these things."

Alison laughs a little, definitely more at ease now. "Thanks."

"No problem."

As soon as Stiles has pulled away, Nixie frowns deeply when Derek says from behind her, "You're very interesting. I'll give you that."

She surprises him again when she says, "I know you must think you're the biggest shit that's walked in here since God himself, but allow me to inform you of something you seem to not be grasping yet. All of the people you appear to be trying to threaten, intimidate, and stalk, are people that I care about quite a bit." She turns towards him, marching into his space, practically toe to toe with him, and adds, "And I don't care if you think you're made of titanium. Hurt any of these people, and I will find a way to break you in half."

Derek stares at her long and hard, and then says through his teeth, "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

"Then either enlighten me, or stay the hell away from us. Either one suits me just fine."

She leaves him with that, swinging on her bicycle and pedaling away, trying to hurry after Scott in the direction he went. But the boy was seriously fast now, and not just because he was in a car. Nixie suspects that if he'd just ran away, he'd still be exceptionally faster than her at this point.

Which reminds Nixie that she seriously needed to work on getting the scrap yard motorcycle she'd commandeered working. It wasn't actually a piece of crap. There just happened to be a lot of pieces that it needed to ever function again. Which cost money. Which she didn't actually have a lot of.

But first things first. And Scott's problems right now were first. She'd worry about the bike later.

* * *

"Where is she?"

Nixie jerks around when she finally hears Scott speak. Following him after he disappeared from his house had proved much more difficult than she'd anticipated. But finally, she'd found him in the woods. Sighing in relief, she heads that way, but then stops short when she hears someone respond, "She's safe. From you."

Derek Hale. Nixie would be pissed, if she weren't so confused right now. It was one thing for her to be here. She'd been trying to tail Scott for hours. But Derek? How the hell did he know where to go?

And then Derek and Scott are wrestling. Nixie grabs a long branch from the ground and raises it above her head to swing down at his.

Derek somehow manages to pin Scott to a nearby tree, and reach back and catch the branch in his other hand. Glaring at her, he asks, "How in the hell did you get here?"

"Scott's here. Assume that his presence comes with mine attached, dumbass."

He raises an eyebrow at her, and then turns to Scott when the new young werewolf asks, "What did you do with her?"

But Derek jerks his head to the side, and then hisses, "Be quiet, both of you." Nixie raises an eyebrow, but at the very least decides to try and listen for whatever it is he thinks he heard before reminding him that he was not the boss of them. But then she does hear a rustling further into the woods, along with what sounded like metal chambers sliding into guns. And apparently, Derek can hear it too, because he curses under his breath before saying, "Too late. They're already here. Run."

He says it to Scott, who looks around to see what exactly they're supposed to be running from. Derek glances back at him, then at Nixie. Then he says again, "Run!"

And before she can blink, Nixie finds herself scooped up in Derek's arms, and he's sprinting away at speeds that should be impossible for a normal human man to achieve.

Son of a bitch. He was a werewolf. Which meant that maybe Stiles was right about Scott turning into a werewolf. Holy freaking crap!

For the moment though, considering she can't run from danger this fast on her own, she's content to let him carry her. Well… right up until she heard Scott cry out in pain. Scrambling in Derek's grip after that, she yells, "Put me down! He's hurt!"

Derek does put her down. He briefly pins her against a tree, and then holds a finger in front of his lips. Staring directly into her eyes, he says, "I will get him. You will get in my way. Stay here. I'll be back."

He sprints away before she can argue, and Nixie briefly considers following him anyway. But… what if he actually knew what he was doing? And what if she actually did get in his way? So stays were she is, closing her eyes and counting backwards from fifty. It seemed as good a number to start with as any other.

She had reached sixteen when Scott and Derek came back to her, Scott looking more like his usual self again. Hurrying forward and bending down to him, she gasps in surprise when Scott lunges at her upon seeing her. And for a moment, Derek was worried about Scott doing something he'd regret as well.

But Scott just hugged her. Tight. Tight enough to make her spine crack in a few places. But Nixie let him and hugged him right back.

Home. Safe. He felt it all when she was near. It calmed him, helped him focus again, and Derek can't help but stare in surprise when Scott turns to face him with a completely normal human face and ask, "Who were they?"

Snapping his gaze back to the rest of the woods, trying to make sure they had lost them, Derek answers, "Hunters. The kind that have been hunting us for centuries."

Scott's eyes widen, "Us? You mean you! You did this to me!"

"No he didn't Scott."

Both men look to her at that, and Nixie shrugs, "I… I just… well, am I wrong?!" Derek shakes his head, to which Nixie says, "Then stop look at me like I'm crazy!"

Derek turns back to Scott and asks, "Is it really so bad Scott? That you can see better, hear more clearly, move faster than any human could ever hope?" But as he moves closer to Scott, Nixie pushes Scott behind her and puts herself between them. Derek looks at her again, but then over her at Scott and adds, "You've been given something that most people would kill for. The bite is a gift."

Scott, over Nixie's head, says, "I don't want it."

But Derek shakes his head, "You will. And you're gonna need me if you wanna learn how to control it."

To that, Nixie laughs harshly. Then she says, "Scott… I have got this."

Scott shifts his gaze to be looking at her. Even from behind her, only really able to see the side of her face... he knew she was glaring at Derek. Challenging him to argue with her. Because even if she didn't have all the answers right this minute. Even if it took them a while to figure everything out. She was determined that she would handle this. Scott would not need Derek. Not unless he somehow reached a point where he actually did just want this stranger's help. But he would never need it. Not while Nixie was standing here.

Which is why, though Derek seems confused by it again, Scott says with complete calm and confidence in that moment, "I know."

Derek looks between them both, and then says, "She can't help you! She's not like you!"

"She's my friend and she would never do anything to hurt me. That's more than I can say for you already. I don't know what you want, and I don't care. I know Nixie just wants me safe."

Derek looks to Nixie again, and then says in what he hopes is a gentler tone, "Look… there are some things that will come up that you, as a human, won't be able to handle. And you just might need my help when that time comes. Whether you like it or not Scott, we're brothers now."

When he turns to leave though, Nixie stops him by saying, "Then you'd better be damn well prepared for his older sister to kick your ass if you hurt him."

When Derek's finally gone, Scott asks, "Older sister?"

"Me of course. Who else would I be talking about? Now come on. Let's go home."

Of course, Nixie can't exactly give Scott a lift on her bicycle. Again, another reason to find a way to get the motorcycle up and running. But for now, she simply takes to walking beside her bike with Scott walking on her other side, just calmly strolling down the road… in the dark… with hunters still prowling the woods. But, as long as Scott didn't wolf-out again, Nixie figures they should be okay. Plus, hunters weren't werewolves. She can handle hunters. She thinks.

Luckily she doesn't have to find out. At least not tonight. As they're heading on down the road, Stiles pulled up in his jeep. Sighing in relief at the sight of them, he then says, "Toss your bike on top Nix. Come on, let's get out of here. It's creepy."

Nixie nods, "You don't even know the half of it Stiles."

* * *

On the ride back, Scott asks, "You know what worries me the most?"

Stiles sighs in exhaustion, "If you say Alison, I'm gonna punch you in the head."

But Scott can't help it. "She probably hates me now."

Nixie lets out a tired yawn, watching as the sun begins peeking over the trees around them. Then she explains, "I told her you had an asthma thing and that you had to go home immediately and that your mom knew what to do. And she left the party after that because the only reason she went in the first place was because you asked her. She doesn't hate you. But you are going to still need to apologize. And it better be amazing."

Scott smiles at her in the rearview mirror, "Noted. Thanks."

"No problem."

But Scott's still worried. Well, until Stiles turns to look at him and then says in a gentler tone, "Hey, come on. We'll get through this. If we have too, me and Nixie will chain you up ourselves during full moons and I'll feed you live mice. I had a boa once, I could do it."

Scott finally laughs, and then again when Nixie says, "Oh, and I just remembered. Stiles, I was supposed to hit you in the back of the head for ditching me and Scott in the woods."

She didn't even hit him, and it's still a miracle they didn't wreck from all the flailing Stiles did at her comment.

* * *

"He's her dad."

Nixie looks up from her seat on the bleachers as Scott and Stiles join her, both with dumbstruck looks on their faces. Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "You're gonna half to elaborate, Scott. Who is who's dad?"

"One of the hunters from last night. The one that shot me in the arm. He's… he's Alison's father."

Well shit.

* * *

For those wondering what happened, I'm trying to rework my older stories so they are easier to read. It's been mentioned that sometimes it's hard to figure out who's speaking at times, because I have several people talking all in the same paragraph. Which... yeah, I understand that that's definitely confusing. Thanks to those who commented on my stories. Your love is felt and I appreciate it more than words can say. And here's hoping that, by the time I'm done, this all makes better sense, and is still as good as it was before! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything original that I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 2: Episode 1x2

Nixie doesn't like this. She doesn't like this at all.

Not only has Scott just realized that Alison's dad is a hunter. Now he can't focus, and Jackson is using lacrosse to his own advantage. Nixie couldn't really justify beating him to a pulp when it was his job on the field right now to stop Scott from getting to the goal.

And now the coach was doing as he always did to try and 'encourage' his players. Which basically meant he was making fun of Scott and degrading him somehow.

And if the look on Stiles face means anything, Nixie knows he doesn't like it either.

Standing up from the bleachers, she's prepared to head down and… well, she's not sure what she plans to do. But when she gets down there, Derek is off to the side, brooding and moody looking as ever. Walking up to him, surprising him yet again, she first asks, "Seriously? You act like no one has ever even looked at you before? What the hell?"

Derek raises an eyebrow and asks, "What?"

"Every time you see me you look at me like I'm some foreign alien or something."

"You might be."

Giving him a look, she says, "Whatever. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Watching. And waiting."

"For what?"

Derek simply points, "That."

Scott has hit Jackson so hard, he's on the ground and quite possibly might have a broken arm, or a dislocated shoulder maybe. Widening her gaze, Nixie opts for forgetting about Derek right now, though she'll certainly tell Stiles about it later. At the moment, it might be best not to inform Scott that on top of everything else, Derek is still stalking him.

She knows she's not technically supposed to be in the boy's locker room, but screw it. She follows in seconds behind Stiles and Scott.

Her timing couldn't have been more perfect, because Scott is freaking the hell out and screams at Stiles, "Get away from me!" And Stiles is seriously trying, but now Scott is leaping on top of lockers, scaling the ceiling rafters, and isn't really leaving much open in the options of escape.

Looking beside the door, Nixie spots the fire extinguisher. "Stiles!"

He jumps and scrambles over to where she is, and as Scott leaps down to follow them, maybe even attack them, Nixie unhooks the nozzle and sprays him in the face and chest. Stiles backs out of the room behind her, and then they both stand against the wall. Stiles glances at Nixie, and then asks, "How'd you think of that?"

"It was just there. Seemed as good an idea as any at the time."

Stiles nods, "Good job."

"Thanks."

Then Scott's voice says worriedly from inside, "Stiles? Nixie?" Sighing in relief, they reenter the room, and Nixie tilts her head sadly when Scott asks, "What happened?"

Stiles, tossing off his gloves, says, "You tried to kill me. Thankfully, Nixie saved me." Bending down in front of him, Stiles adds gently, "It's like I told you before. It's the anger, it's your pulse rising. It's a trigger."

Scott looks at him hopelessly, "But that's lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game if you hadn't noticed."

Huffing, Stiles says, "Well, it's gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field."

They all sit and stand in silence for a moment, and then Nixie sighs, "You can't play Saturday."

Scott looks up at her, "But… I can't quit the team. I love lacrosse. It's…"

"I didn't say quit, Scott. I just said you can't play Saturday. We need time. Time for you to learn at least some control, and Stiles and I need to time to figure out how to teach you without resorting to trying to trust Derek, who I still don't like right now."

Stiles nods in agreement, "You're gonna have to get out of the game."

Scott sighs, "But I'm first line. Short of breaking something, I'm not sure coach will let me get out of the game."

Nixie smiles slightly at him, "Well, if that's all it takes."

Scott grins at her a little, and then sighs before saying in exasperation, "This sucks."

Stiles nods, "Tell me about it. I almost got eaten."

Nixie rolls her eyes, "You were fine."

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"Whatever. Come on. We need to get out of here. I don't think the rest of the team is going to appreciate how hard you knocked their team captain on the ground."

* * *

"Nixie!"

She hadn't even really been sure she was going to stop at Scott's on the way past his house. She just wanted to ride by and see that everything was still quiet for the night.

Obviously… it wasn't.

Pumping her legs to get up the drive faster, she surged into the front door, grabbed a bat from downstairs, raced upstairs, and without hesitating for a second, ran into Scott's room and swung the bat at the now familiar black leather jacket that was Derek Hale.

This time she surprised him with her attack, and the bat kept ringing after she hit him in the head as hard as she could. He went down to the floor, leaving Scott free to get off the wall. Coming around to Nixie's side, he says, "Thanks."

"No problem. By the way, how did you even know I was out there."

"I smelled you."

Nixie blinks at that, and then asks, "Do I smell good?"

"Yeah, actually. You smell great. Better than anyone else really. Well, except for Alison."

She can't help laughing a little as she gives him a look over her shoulder. "Well, I figured that much."

Derek suddenly stands up on his feet again, but he doesn't come any closer. Glaring at Nixie and her bat, he says, "You're becoming a pain in the ass."

"Funny how it's only the assholes who seem to think that."

He glares again, and then looks at Scott and says, "I mean it Scott."

Then he takes off out the window. Sighing, Nixie turns to Scott and asks, "What does he mean, exactly?"

"He said if I even try to play in the game Saturday night, he'd kill me himself."

Nixie blinks, and then makes a clucking sound with her tongue. "Huh. He's even dumber than I thought. Alright. Now I know what I'm doing tonight."

"What's that?"

"Figuring out the best way to kill the werewolf who's a pain in my ass."

* * *

When Stiles comes back to them at school later the next day, he says, "Unbelievable! My dad is out looking for a rabid animal, while the jerkoff who actually killed the girl is just hanging out, doing whatever he wants."

Scott turns to Stiles, "Well, you can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek."

Nixie shrugs, "I don't know. If I hit him in the head with a bat again and he heals as quickly as he did last night, Noah might believe us."

Both boys look at her, and she shrugs again, "I'm just saying."

Stiles sighs after a minute before commenting, "I can do something."

Scott looks at him warily, already not liking Stiles tone when he says he can do something. "Like what?"

And his suspicions are confirmed when Stiles immediately comes back with, "Like find the other half of the body."

"Are you freaking kidding?!"

But Stiles is already walking away. Sighing, Scott then glances down the hall towards where Lydia is introducing Alison to other players.

Nixie tries to stop him, seeing the jealous and almost angry look that enters his expression, but Scott pays her no mind. And as she listens into his conversation with Alison, Nixie sighs and says, "Don't Scott. Just don't."

After Alison walks away, Nixie says, "Scott, you realize you just sounded like an overzealous and jealous boyfriend right now, right?"

He turns to her, and then says, "Yeah, well, it's all Lydia's fault!"

"Scott…"

"I… I gotta go."

He takes off out the building, and Nixie sighs before heading down the hall in search of Lydia. Scott had yelled at her, which was out of character. But she knew it wasn't his fault. He was stressed about being a werewolf, about trying to get out of the game, and about what would happen if he did still have to play on Saturday. And Lydia… Lydia was adding to the problem.

So when Lydia closes her locker, she finds Nixie directly on the other side, waiting for her. Smiling, Lydia asks, "You wanna talk about the paper? I was thinking…"

"No."

Frowning, Lydia says, "Um… okay… but…"

"Lydia, leave Scott alone."

Lydia just rolls her eyes, "He's being a wuss, no offense to you intended. He took Jackson out, separated his shoulder, and now he's not going to play the first game?! What the hell? So no, I'm not going to leave him alone. He either needs to play, or he'll figure out just how easy it'll be to lose his dream girl Alison."

Lydia turns to walk away, but gasps and is drawn up short by Nixie's hand gripping her arm. Pulling her back, Nixie says, "Lydia… we're friends. And I care about you… the real you anyway. I really do." Stepping closer though, eyes darkening in her own pent up anger, she adds, "But I don't much care for the fake you. You know that. We've discussed this. And while you're being fake you, I know sometimes you forget that when talking to me, you're talking to someone who knows you really, really well."

Lydia's eyes widen when Nixie glares at her, and then Nixie tacks on, "Fake you also tends to forget sometimes just how protective I am of the few people I care about. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now, and I will repeat it for you again." And she makes sure to punctuate each word for added effect, "Leave. Scott. Alone. He has a lot on his plate right now, and he does not need you adding to the ever growing pile of shit he has to deal with. So back the hell off."

Releasing Lydia's arm, Nixie says, "Work on the paper whenever you want. I'm busy today."

She's walking away, still pissed, when she pauses as Lydia says in a desperate tone, "Nixie!" Glancing back, Nixie waits for whatever it is she wants now. And she does soften her gaze a little when Lydia asks worriedly, "Do… Do I… Can I still call you? For anything?"

Lydia knew the rule. She also knew that Nixie didn't give her number out to just anybody. And she told even fewer people that they could call her at any time, day or night, for anything. But Lydia was one of the people who could, and she did treasure being one of those people.

Which is why she was so terrified that maybe she had done something so bad as to lose her place in Nixie's small circle of people that she granted that privilege. But Nixie finally offers her a tiny smile, not a happy one, but a smile nonetheless. Then she says, "Always Lydia. For anything. I gotta go."

* * *

Nixie grins at Stiles when she sees him speed into the driveway of Scott's house and then scramble out of the car. Plopping down on the bed with Scott, she counts, "In three… two… one…"

The door bursts open to Scott's room and without missing even a single beat, Stiles starts asking, "What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it?" Scott raises an eyebrow, to which Stiles adds, "And yes, I've had a lot of Adderall."

Sitting up, Nixie suggests, "He might've taken the whole bottle."

Stiles gives her a look, but then turns back to Scott, "So…"

Scott nods, "I found something at Derek Hale's."

"What?!"

Nixie leans back on the bed again and says, "Stiles, take a breath and let Scott finish."

Scott grins at her, and then continues. "Something's buried there. I could smell blood."

To which Nixie points a finger in the air and adds, "Also note that we need to add his ability to smell blood even when the body is buried beneath the earth, to the ever growing list of abilities he appears to be attaining."

Stiles beams for a second, "That's awesome!" Then at Nixie's raised eyebrow, he backpedals, "I mean, that's terrible. Whose blood?"

Scott shrugs, "I don't know. But when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder. And then both of you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing. Because there's no way I'm not playing in that game." Turning to Nixie, he adds, "Even if you did talk to Lydia after I yelled at you. Sorry about that by the way."

Nixie shrugs, "I have a feeling mood swings are just something we're going to have to deal with in the early stages of you being a werewolf. Just keep the apologies coming, and we'll be in good shape my friend."

Scott grins again, coming over to kiss the top of her head in appreciation. "Alright. Come on. Let's dig up a body."

And even though they've done some crazy things in the past, Nixie can't help but laugh as she says, "Never something I thought we'd ever be doing or need to worry about. We actually do this, and we can add grave robbery to our resumes when we get older."

Stiles looks at her and asks, "And this is you putting a positive spin on this?"

"Yep. Unless you've got a better idea."

He ponders for a moment, and then says, "Nope, not really. Alright. Let's do this."

* * *

As Scott slips into the doorway that will get him to the morgue, he suddenly grabs onto Nixie's wrist. Raising an eyebrow at him, she softens her gaze when he asks, "Can you come with me? I… I just…"

"Hey. What else am I gonna do anyways? Stiles…" He turns to her when she says his name, nearly knocking over a vase in the process. Sighing, she says, "Don't break anything." He gives her a thumbs up, and then she follows Scott past the door.

When they finally get into the morgue, a seriously under-protected room in Nixie's opinion, Scott finds the drawer and pulls out the lower half of the body. This half isn't as gruesome as the first though, so Nixie thinks she'll be fine.

Scott, on the other hand, looks like he's about to have one of the old Stiles' panic attacks. Stiles hadn't had one in years, or at least that's what he'd told Nixie once. But Scott looked like he was about to have one. Coming up behind him, putting a hand on his back, she says, "Stand up straight." He does. Then she says, "Breathe." He does what she says again. Then she asks, "Is it the same scent?"

His voice is still a bit shaky, but he still answers, "Yeah."

"Good." She shuts the drawer for him immediately, and then thinks about her last comment for a moment. "Well… not good. But… well, you know what I mean. Now come on, before Stiles actually does break something."

Walking back down the hall, Scott says, "Thanks for coming."

"Sure thing. Why me though? You could've brought Stiles."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have kept me as calm as you do."

"And I keep you calm because I smell good?"

Scott stops walking as he considers it, and then looks at her when she moves in front of him. Shrugging, he says, "It's not just that. You just… you feel good. Like your hugs and stuff? All of that feels… it feels like more now. Like I can somehow appreciate all of what you put into a hug, if that makes any sense."

Nixie nods, and then says, "You'd better appreciate my hugs. They're priceless."

Scott chuckles and says, "Believe me, I know. Now, come on. You're right about Stiles. We'll be lucky if his half of the hospital is still standing."

* * *

As Nixie grabs a shovel from the trunk of the jeep, she says, "You know, I'm aware it was an unrealistic hope, but I was still hoping we'd get to do this in the light of day."

Stiles nods in agreement, "Would've been way less creepy. But you're right. Totally unrealistic. Of course, compared to everything else we're learning lately, my definition of realistic is beginning to expand quite a bit."

Nixie nods, and then they both stop when Scott says, "Wait. Something's different."

Stiles looks at Nixie, who shrugs. Then he asks, "Different how?"

Scott shakes his head as he looks around in confusion, "I don't know. Come on. Let's just get this over with."

As Nixie settles into a spot to start digging, she asks, "You're not excited about this anymore?"

Scott raises an eyebrow at her, "I wasn't excited to begin with." But he grins at her again, even if it is a bit strained. So they get to work, knowing the sooner they hurry up and dig up the body, the sooner they can get out of here.

As they get lower in the ground though, Scott begins to get worried. "It's taking way too long guys."

Nixie stands up straight, and when her head still sticks up past the top of the whole, she says, "We're not even close to six feet under yet Scott. If Derek buried her the typical amount for a grave, we have to get at least that far before we quit."

"But what if he comes back?"

Stiles throws out another pile of dirt, and then says, "Then we get the hell out of here."

"And what if he catches us?"

Stiles gives Scott a look, and then says, "I've got a plan for that?"

"What is it?"

And Nixie can't help but grin when Stiles answers Scott with, "You run one way, I run the other, and Nixie takes off up the middle. Whoever he catches… too bad."

Scott gives them both a look, "I hate that plan."

Nixie shrugs, "Long as I can keep my shovel, I think I can still make it out alive if he catches me. I'll scream profanities at him so he'll be more likely to chase me instead of you guys. You'll be fine Scott."

"That's not the point either!"

But then they finally hit something other than dirt, and Stiles tosses his shovel aside to get closer and see what it is. Some brown sack, tied up with rope. Sighing, Nixie bends down to start untying and says, "This job just doesn't get any easier does it."

When they finally pull the lid back on the sack, revealing a dead black wolf, not the other half of a human body they were looking for… Stiles jumps back and screams, and Scott does the same.

Nixie looks at the eyes though. They were the same as the ones on the body she'd seen the night Scott rolled down the hill. Dead and creepy and… it made her want to gag and throw up all over again. Standing up, hands landing on her hips, she says, "I don't get it."

Stiles nods in agreement, "Me either. Scott, I thought you said you smelled blood? As in human blood?"

Scott throws his hands up in exasperation, "And I told you something was different when we got here!"

Nixie looks at him, and then says in fascination, "Ah. So that's what it was. I was wondering when we were going to figure that out."

Stiles huffs, not nearly fascinated enough to not still be annoyed. "But it still doesn't make any sense."

Scott looks around them worriedly after a moment more. "Guys, we've got to get out of here."

Nixie nods, "Alright. Let's get this thing buried again before Derek wonders who dug it up. Why he has a wolf buried in his yard though… is definitely something we should ponder on the way home."

Stiles nods, "Agreed."

But as they're getting ready to shove the dirt back in, Stiles spots the purple flower growing in the ground. "Hey Nix. You see this?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Remember our research?"

Nixie nods again, and looking at the flower a bit closer, she says, "It… well, it could be wolfsbane."

Scott looks at both of them and asks, "What's that?"

Turning to him, Nixie pleads, "Don't get Stiles started."

But Stiles is already rattling off, "Haven't you ever seen 'The Wolf Man'? Lon Chaney Jr.? Claude Rains? The original classic werewolf movie, dude?! Seriously. You're becoming this thing. You need to see some of this stuff."

Scott huffs and asks, "But I haven't. So what the hell is wolfsbane?"

Stiles looks to Nixie, who shrugs. Then he huffs and says, "You are so unprepared for this. And you…" he points at Nixie, "are not helping."

Nixie just raises an eyebrow, "He's been turning into this for a week at the most Stiles. He didn't really understand he was turning into a werewolf until a couple days ago. So… I don't really expect him to have updated his entire DVD collection yet to include things like 'The Wolf Man'."

He rolls his eyes at her and then moves over to grab the flower. Except when it comes out, it's attached to a long thick rope that Stiles keeps on pulling, revealing that it formed a circle around the grave they'd just dug up. Nixie sighs and says, "The weird shit has to stop eventually right? I mean… we already need to get Scott in control. We dug up a wolf. How much more stuff do we need to add to the pile at this point?"

But when Stiles is done… Nixie stares with Scott down into the hole… where the top half of the human body is now revealed to be in the sack. Not a wolf. At least, not anymore. And the pile of shit to deal with just got another thing added to it. Excellent.

And finally, because nothing else seems appropriate, Nixie just says, "Well shit. I didn't see that coming."

* * *

"Just so you know. I'm not afraid of you." Derek glares at Stiles from the back seat of the police car, to which Stiles then says, "Okay, maybe I am. Doesn't matter. I just want to know something. The girl you killed? She was a werewolf. She was a different kind wasn't she? I mean… she can turn herself into an actual wolf and Scott can't. At least, I don't think so. So… is that why you killed her?"

Nixie, outside the car, listens as Derek answers Stiles question with another question. "Why are you so worried about me when it's your friend who's the problem? When he shifts on the field, what do you think they're gonna do, huh? Just keep cheering him on?"

Both Derek and Stiles then look when Nixie opens the door on the other side, in the back with Derek no less, and slides in next to him. Leaving the door open just a crack so she can easily get back out on her own, she settles in comfortably, and then replies, "I will, so that's gotta count for something."

Derek huffs and says, "Look, I can't stop him from playing, but you two can. And trust me… you want to."

The edge to Derek's eyes, the sudden concern and worry there, has Nixie curious as to what has him so agitated about Scott playing. It couldn't just be Scott's safety, or even his own. So what else was there?

That's when Noah opens the door though and drags Stiles out of the car. He doesn't see Nixie yet, but she knows it's only a matter of time before she's found if she doesn't get out soon.

Silence for a moment, and then Derek turns to her when she says, "Explain it to me."

"What?"

"Tell me why you, in particular. don't want Scott to play tomorrow. And don't bullshit me. And try not sounding like you're trying to threaten my life in the process." Derek stares at her for a moment, so she adds, "You have about a minute before I'm hightailing it out of here so Noah can't drag me out of the car too, by the way. So any second now would be great."

Finally, he answers, "I don't think the alpha knows exactly who he is yet."

Blinking, Nixie asks, "Alpha? What alpha?"

Derek just sighs, apparently frustrated with her lack of knowledge. "I apparently don't have time to explain it all. You said I have a minute. But the wolf that did bite Scott… I don't think he's positive of who Scott is yet. But he's still here, and still looking. And if Scott shifts on the field and shows everyone what he is… the alpha will definitely figure it out. And then it's just a matter of time before he comes after Scott."

Nixie stares at him for a moment more, taking all of that in. Then she grins before saying, "See? Talking like you aren't trying to kill me actually works on some level."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we are going to work with Scott to help him control the shift. But if we can't, I'll find a way to make coach bench him."

And with that, she slides out of the car before Noah can see her, and before Derek can comment further.

She still doesn't make it to the jeep again before Noah does spot her though. "Hey! Nix!" She turns towards him, and when he reaches her, he says, "So… you were out here last night?" Nixie glances in Stiles' direction, watching as he scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

Yep. Noah got it out of Stiles. Not fantastic news at this point, but not really all that surprising either. Great.

Back to Noah, she says, "I also recall you saying that if I knew Stiles was going to be out there alone anyway, that there was no way in hell I would've stayed home and let him go by himself."

Noah raises an eyebrow, "And you couldn't… I don't know, have stopped him yourself?"

"Not without hurting him, and I'm against hurting Stiles. Unless it's to hit him in the back of the head, but I seriously doubt that would've kept him in bed that night." As Noah looks like he's trying to prepare to berate her further, she says, "Look, I know you see me as the mature one of our little group. And I try to be… sometimes. At least enough to keep us out of serious trouble. But… and I don't mean to say that you don't know them… but I know these guys. And I knew I wasn't going to keep them in bed that night. So I came with."

Noah crosses his arms and asks, "And not answering me when I called you?"

Nixie looks down for a second, but continues on assuredly with, "Kind of two reasons. One being that Scott didn't want to get in trouble and neither did I. But the other, and more important one, was the Scott was already having trouble breathing and I didn't want to add to it and cause him to have a panic type episode by letting you know where we were."

Noah glances at Scott towards the jeep, and then sighs before turning back to her. Smiling just a bit, he asks, "Everyone's okay?"

"Yeah. We're fine. And don't worry. I'll tell Stiles that talking to Derek, an alleged murderer, is a stupid idea and to never do it again."

"Good." Wrapping an arm around her, hugging her tight, Noah adds, "You know I just want you guys safe, right?"

Nixie wraps her arms around him too, smiling against him before assuring, "I know. Believe me, it's appreciated. More than you know."

"Good. Now get out of here. This is a crime scene."

"Yes sir." She mock salutes him, making him grin, and then she heads back to the jeep with the boys.

Stiles huffs when she gets back. "How come when he talks to you, it ends in a hug?"

Nixie responds with a smirk, "I'm better at knowing when and where to use sarcasm. It kind of just flows out of you twenty-four-seven."

Rolling his eyes, Stiles says, "Come on. Get in."

As they're driving down the road now, Stiles rattling off all the possibilities of why Derek Hale might've buried that girl in a ring of wolfsbane, Nixie jumps in surprise when Scott suddenly says, "Just stop! Stop saying werewolf so much! Stop enjoying this!"

Leaning forward, Nixie asks, "Scott, you okay?"

"No! I'm so not okay right now!"

"Why? What's wrong? Hey, calm down, it'll be alright." But he thrashes in his seat a little bit before turning sharply to look in Stiles' bag that rests between them. And coiled up inside is the wolfsbane rope.

Nixie knows Stiles obviously kept it to keep his dad from finding it. And she now also knows that it's apparently what's causing Scott to freak out. Sighing, she braces herself for whatever onslaught is about to come because of this.

Scott's outburst still makes her wince and cover one ear when he shouts, "Seriously Stiles! You kept it!"

Nixie grabs Scott's shoulder, looking at his yellow glowing eyes, and says, "Just breathe Scott."

"I can't! Stop the car!"

Stiles does, taking the bag and tossing it into the woods. But Scott breaks free of Nixie's hold and takes off into the woods anyway, in the opposite direction. Sighing, Nixie huffs and says, "Great. Now we need to find him again."

Stiles comes back and says, "I couldn't just… just leave it there. I…"

"I know Stiles. It's not totally your fault. Just get back in. We've got to find him before he does something he regrets."

"And where exactly should we start with that?"

"Well, you can try dispatch in a minute and see if they're in a good mood today. Ask if they've seen any strange dog like beings running around. Other than that, right now… I have no idea."

* * *

Nixie sighs in relief when Stiles texts her from the boys' locker room at the game later on. She hadn't wanted to quit, but Stiles couldn't also be one of the players missing from the game. It would just make it all the more apparent to other people that Scott was slacking off if Stiles was gone. And Scott wasn't slacking off… he was just having a seriously bad week.

Unfortunately, no one else except for Stiles and Nixie knew why. Well, except for Derek Hale, but he had a tendency to make the situation worse before making it better, so Nixie doesn't count him.

So anyways, they'd had to give up and head back to school and hope and pray that Scott had returned to play in the game like he'd originally planned. And it's confirmed in Stiles' text, which says, _"He's here. All good. Still playing. Not sure how this is gonna go."_

But at least he's here, and not wolfed out or anything. At least at the moment. Sighing again, Nixie's about to wander over to the parking lot or to stand next to the bleachers. She loved Lydia to death, but she generally didn't sit with her at these games. Nixie did not cheer for Jackson. She'd cheer for the team as a whole. She'd do that all day. But just Jackson?

Hell no.

However, as she was preparing to wander, Nixie turns when she hears Alison shout, "Nixie!"

Alison is so relieved that she's here. Because Nixie wasn't kidding. Lydia was sometimes a force to be reckoned with. And right now, Alison didn't want to find out if she could 'reckon' her alone. Plus, she wasn't really sure her dad was all that approving of Lydia. But she knew that Chris liked Nixie, at least a little bit.

Nixie turns to see all three of them on the bleachers, preparing to sit down. Alison waves her over to the empty seat between her and her dad. And Nixie doesn't miss the desperate look on Alison's face. She'd apparently had all of the alone time with Lydia today that she could take.

Note to self. In the future, do not hurt Jackson so badly that he can't play lacrosse. Not unless he actually hurts Scott or Stiles. Because a Lydia dating an injured Jackson… well, it just wasn't good.

Climbing up the bleachers, Nixie says, "Hey guys."

Chris smiles warmly at her, and then Alison says, "Hey yourself. So I hear you were with Stiles when he found that dead body?"

Nixie tilts her head, "How'd you hear that?"

"Oh, my dad."

Nixie turns to Chris, who shrugs and says, "I hear things. I sell weaponry for a living, so talking to the cops on a regular basis is something I do."

Nixie nods, and then says, "Yeah, I was there. Someone's got to at least attempt to keep Stiles in line. Not that I have much better luck, but at least if I'm there I can make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

Alison laughs, and then looks out at the field and waves at Scott. Chris looks out at him too, and then asks, "Is that him?"

Alison nods, blushing a little. Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "What? What'd I miss?"

"Oh. Dad nearly ran over Scott in our driveway. He's fine though."

Chris doesn't miss the way Nixie tenses immediately, or how quick Alison was to reassure her that Scott was indeed fine. Looking to Nixie again, he asks, "Friend of yours too?"

"Scott's like my brother." Back to Chris, still smiling, but a slightly harder edge to her eyes, she says, "Hell will come on swift wings to those who try to hurt him or Stiles."

For a moment, Chris wonders if he should actually be worried for his safety. Her eyes… they were striking. And they spoke volumes. He didn't doubt she was serious with the threat. He did wonder if it was imminent or not at the moment though.

But then she relaxes and adds, "Of course, the same applies for Lydia and now Alison. And you, I'm pretty sure. Parents are always trickier for me. Stiles' dad is for sure on the list of people I'll seek revenge for. You, my dear Chris, have work to do though."

His eyes widen a bit before he lets out a deep chuckle. "I'll see what I can do."

Nixie smiles back at him, "Awesome." Back to Alison, but so Chris can still hear, Nixie says, "I like your dad. He takes my sarcasm and just runs with it." Alison grins, and then they look out at the field to watch the game play.

As it's going on though, Nixie watches as Scott becomes more agitated by the second. Huffing at one point, she stands up and says, "Sorry Chris. I'll be back." She squeezes past him, and for a moment he wonders how she intends to get down the bleachers. Even parts of the stairs are lined with people, so it'll take some maneuvering.

He leans back in surprise though when she leaps over the railing at the side and lowers herself down to the ground. Turning to Alison, he asks, "How exactly did she do that?"

Lydia's actually the one who, after glancing over to see what he's talking about, says, "Oh, you mean jump the rail? Half the time that girl gets anywhere, she's jumping over and sliding under something. Claims going around whatever it is would take up too much unnecessary time."

Alison laughs, and then turns to her dad and says, "Scott said that Stiles labeled her what he calls a compact ninja. Adorable in size and fierce in skill at kicking ass. At least, that's what they said. But don't call her that to her face! She might get offended."

Chris chuckles, looking down to where Nixie has now joined Stiles on the bench.

To Stiles, Nixie asks, "What is going on?"

"Well… and I'm not sure, but I think, I think… Scott's probably shifting a little."

"No shit, Sherlock. I mean why?"

"They're not passing him the ball. Jackson knocked him on his ass, even though they're on the same team. And Lydia's got Alison holding up a sign cheering for Jackson half the time they're playing. All equaling out to… a very frustrated Scott."

Sighing, Nixie says, "Keep an eye on him. Get me if you think you'll need help with him."

"On it."

Back to the bleachers, Nixie climbs up and over the railing swiftly, and then back to her seat. Chris pats her back and asks, "Everything okay?"

"No. Jackson's being an ass. Not that he isn't always. But he's being an exceptionally large ass right now."

Lydia pauses in her cheering to look down at Nixie, for a moment caught between continuing to cheer for her boyfriend, and possibly sitting to console her friend.

Nixie glances up at her, and then sighs, "Cheer away, Lydia." But as Alison sighs and makes to stand back up as well, Nixie puts a hand on her leg and leans closer to her ear. "I do wish you would not cheer for Jackson though. Just… call it a hunch of mine." Alison nods and stays sitting with her, slipping her arm through Nixie's as they watch the game.

And Nixie smiles when Alison says softly, more to herself than anything, "You can do it Scott."

Nixie's not sure why, but she feels confident that even without trying, Scott could probably hear Alison's voice over the roar of all the others. He was so attuned to her already, even in this short period of time that they'd known each other.

And sure enough, not long after that, Scott's game improves. Nixie knows part of that is the werewolf side of him coming out. But at the very least, for the moment, Scott seems to have it in control. Or… well, not control. But at least targeted towards the playing of the game, and not anything else.

Which is what worries her when the game finally ends. Because yes, they won the game. Yes, Scott scored the final three points to win the game. And yes, everyone is cheering not solely for Jackson, but for Scott and the rest of the team.

And Scott still takes off and away into the woods, obviously afraid of what he might do now. Without the game to target all of his energy towards, he's losing the fragile grip on control that he'd had a moment ago.

Standing up with Alison, Nixie turns when Alison asks, "Where's he going?"

Nixie shrugs, "Maybe he's having another asthma thing. It wouldn't be the first time. You might wanna check the locker rooms and see if he's in there. I know he keeps a spare inhaler there. Might be where he's going, in a roundabout way. I'll check over there in the woods and see if he's still there and what's bugging him if he is. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

* * *

When Nixie finally dashes into the locker room, having gotten a text from Stiles saying that's where Scott was, she finds Stiles peeking around some lockers, just watching something. Coming up behind him, she finds him watching Scott and Alison; kissing.

Grinning and leaning back, Nixie sighs in relief, "One crisis averted for the day. Thank God."

Alison then says she needs to get back to her dad, and when she sees Stiles, she says, "Hey Stiles." "Hi… yeah."

Nixie laughs at him, and then rounds the other corner to meet Alison. Walking back outside with her, Nixie says, "So… I take it he wasn't having an asthma thing?"

Alison grins as she reaches up to touch her lips while answering with a giggly, "Nope."

Nixie grins back, and then asks, "Where's your dad?"

"Oh, he's over there. You don't have to come though. I mean, I can…"

Nixie holds up a hand to stop her in that train of thought. "Scott's head is in the clouds and Stiles is… well… he's Stiles. Leaving me as the only person capable of walking you back to your dad. And also, you're not walking out here alone while I'm here. It's dark. And just because this is a school doesn't mean there aren't weirdos and bozos around lurking in the shadows."

Alison laughs and asks, "And if they are there? What are you going to do exactly?"

"Kick their asses while you run for help."

"I can fight too you know."

"Yes, I'm sure you can. But as I will already be fighting, you should be the one to go get help. It's just common sense at that point."

Laughing at how quickly Nixie turned that conversation around, she concedes, "Oh, I see. Well, if it's common sense…" Nixie laughs too as they reach the SUV, and as Alison slides in she turns back to Nixie and says, "Thanks. And tell Scott I'll see him in school on Monday."

"Sure thing. Bye Alison. Bye Chris."

When Nixie gets back to the locker room though, the happiness is gone, and in it's place is concern, confusion, and a little bit of terror. Sighing, Nixie asks, "What now?"

Stiles turns to her, "My dad got a call from the medical examiner. Says the determination was that the girl was killed by an animal, and not a human. And Derek's human, so…"

Nixie rolls her eyes, "So he's out. And… anything else?"

Stiles blinks, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"You have that look on your face that says, 'And here's the real kicker'. Out with it. What else?"

Stiles sighs and says, "They finally IDed the body. Both halves. And it was Laura Hale. Derek's sister."

Nixie frowns deeply at that, and after taking a moment to think about it, says in confusion, "Then that doesn't make sense."

Stiles frowns too and asks, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what we thought before. We thought Derek had done it. Well… I wasn't set on it, but it made sense. But now that I know who she was… it doesn't make sense anymore. Derek is dark and brooding and creepy as all get out. But… I mean… he cares about family. He called Scott a brother, and I think to Derek that means more than he'd really like us to think."

Running a hand over her head, she adds, "So… I mean… he wouldn't kill his sister. He just wouldn't. Which means…"

Scott lifts his head and says, "Which means that the werewolf that bit me is probably the one that did it all along. And he's still out there."

Nixie nods, and then sighs before declaring, "Alright. It's too late to be worrying so much about this. Scott… you played an excellent game, and you managed to keep your secret under the lid. Props to you. Stiles, you kept an eye on Scott, and managed to not freak him out with this until just now. Props to you too."

Pondering for a moment, she adds, "And I'm just awesome. So props to me as well. Everybody go home. We'll worry about more of this tomorrow. Or maybe Monday. No… tomorrow would be better. The sooner the better."

Stiles just grins at her and wraps an arm around her shoulders as they head back outside. Sighing, he says, "And I'm the one who gets called out for rambling."

"That's because you always ramble. I ramble at select times, not twenty-four-seven."

"Oh whatever!"

* * *

At her apartment later, raiding her fridge of what little food is left, she looks online to see if anyone had put in a bid on the TV she's been trying sell. She needs her laptop for school, so she can't sell that. But the TV… well, she didn't use her own often enough anyway. She could afford to lose it.

And someone is willing to pay four-hundred bucks for it. Thank God.

With a little luck, she'll be able to put that money into the final fixes that are needed for the motorcycle. To be fair, the motorcycle, again, isn't really a piece of junk. Someone apparently just didn't want to put the money and time into it. Lucky for Nixie, she supposes. Now she has a bike, and all she needs is the money to invest in it. Then when someone calls her and needs something, she'll actually be able to make descent time, instead of having to wait for a bus to get her somewhere.

Gas might be an issue at some points, but she'll have to work that out later. One problem at a time. And with Scott's problems continuously growing and piling… well, it's just going to be a while before she can figure out the gas thing. But again… that's a problem for another day.

Tonight she sleeps, kind of cold and alone in her apartment, but satisfied nonetheless. Today had turned into a good day. And in light of all the bad days they were bound to have ahead of them… what more could she really ask for at this point.

* * *

Chapter 2! Yay. And yes, for those wondering, this story is actually already written and finished. (I have a thing about not actually starting the post the story until I'm sure I've finished it.) Anyways, hope you're still enjoying the journey through Season 1. Let me know. And again, hopefully Chapter 3 will be soon to follow. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 3: Episode 1x3

"So you killed her?"

Nixie sighs and says, "Nice Stiles. Very gentle."

He gives her a look and then teases, "That's your job. You're the girl."

"Excuse me?!"

Stiles ducks away before she can think of hitting him in the back of the head. Scott sighs tiredly and says, "I don't know if I did or not. I just woke up. Sweating like crazy, and I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream like that before. Have you guys?"

Stiles shakes his head, but then Scott tilts his head and turns to Nixie. Her pulse had immediately picked up pace when he asked the question. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he asks worriedly, "Have you?"

Nixie watches him for a moment, and then sighs and asks, "First tell me how you already know the answer?"

"I heard your heartbeat pick up."

Nodding, Nixie then says, "Well, yeah. I have before. Anyways, mine was just a typical nightmare, and I honestly don't remember the details. But you… we should probably put some thought into worrying about yours."

Nodding, apparently appeased with that explanation, he agrees, "Right."

Nixie is glad Scott doesn't have full control of whatever abilities he's gaining yet. He'd heard her pulse spike about remembering a time when she had those kinds of dreams. But he didn't pick up on the lie she just told. Truth was, she did remember those dreams… because they weren't actually just dreams. They were memories. Frightening memories of what life had once been, wondering if today was going to be a day when her mom was actually her mom, or if she was going to be the psychopath that, 'wanted to play'.

As they continue walking down the hall, Stiles bringing up the possibility that it's because Scott's going out with Alison tomorrow and he might hurt her, Nixie says, "No you won't Scott."

He turns to her and asks, "How do you know?"

"Because she's not just your girlfriend. She's my friend. And regardless of how much I love you, Scott, if you hurt her, I will beat you within an inch of your life."

Scott blinks for a moment in surprise, but then smiles and says, "But you'll let me live?"

"Well, it's not like I can kill you. I met you first. And you're like my brother. So… in that sense, you trump her. But I will kick your ass. And werewolf or not, you know I can."

"Yeah, I know." But he was smiling again, which was a start at least to improving this day.

Well, up until Scott then mentioned to Stiles about possibly asking Derek for help learning control. To which it wasn't Nixie that hit Scott in the back of the head… but Stiles.

Scott looked so shocked that it had been Stiles to do it, that Nixie burst into laughter, causing a few heads to turn and look at her in the hall. Ignoring them, she wraps an arm around Scott and says, "Okay, so before I lost it for a second, we were pondering asking the creepy and darkly brooding stalker for help."

Stiles snaps his head to her and says, "No, we weren't! We were telling Scott what a bad idea it is, especially since we got Derek thrown in jail in the first place."

Nixie sighs, "Look, I don't exactly like him either, okay. But… I also don't hate him. Yeah, I've threatened him, and yes, I will still kick his ass if he hurts either of you. But… I mean, he's never actually threatened me back for any of that." She ponders for a moment, and then adds, "He did call me a pain in the ass, but I'm choosing to take that as a compliment."

Scott grins, and then says, "You should."

Nixie grins back, and then sighs and asks, "But are you sure we need him? Because I understand you're worried about control… but I still don't like him, or his methods of trying to 'help'. If you can even call it that. So far, all he's actually done is make things harder to handle."

Sighing, Scott says, "I don't know. I just… the dream… all of it felt so real…"

And as they step out the next set of double doors, all three freeze at the sight of the torn up and bloody school bus.

Scott races back inside, texting like crazy and scanning every single face trying to find Alison. Stiles and Nixie try to help… but they can't find her either.

Then Nixie hears a bang from nearby, and rounding the corner, she sees that Scott has punched some poor kid's locker in, practically already knocking it off the hinges. It dangles precariously above the floor as he stands there with his hand in a fist, eyes clenched shut, possibly trying to resist the urge to punch the rest of the lockers in the school.

Or a person instead of a locker. That would end badly at this point. He'd probably send them to the hospital with one swing. Damn, he was really strong. If he did hurt Alison, kicking his ass might actually prove to be a challenge.

Coming up to him, grabbing his still balled up hand, she says, "Breathe Scott."

"I'm trying… but…"

"No. No buts. Look at me and listen." His yellow eyes watch hers, and she puts his hand over her heart so he can feel the steady pulse there. Then she says, "If Alison, or anyone else for that matter, were actually hurt… it would've been in reports and in the news already. But there's been nothing. And you can bet your ass that if Alison were even missing, her father would be all over this like it were his own personal crime scene. But he's not. And there's no word about any new missing people or about new dead bodies. So…"

Scott stays silent for a moment longer, taking time to process what she's just said. He also takes into account the rate of her heart. It didn't move or fluctuate much, except for when she paused to take in a breath of air before speaking again. She was telling the truth. She didn't think Alison was dead, or that he'd killed her.

Finally nodding, he says, "She's fine. Maybe… maybe she's just late."

Sighing in relief, Nixie nods, "Good. Now… let's go see if we can catch her outside when she comes in. Yeah?"

Scott nods, and no sooner had they started moving that way, then Scott runs into Alison. Smiling at both of them, Nixie waves to Alison before stepping away to let them have some time to themselves. She knows Scott needs it, after just thinking that he might've actually killed her in his sleep.

His mind was playing tricks on him. Nixie knows what affect that can have on a person. And she won't let what's happening to him be the thing that breaks his mind. She's already lost someone she loves that way. She won't lose another like that.

* * *

"But dreams aren't memories."

Nixie pauses in the bite of food she was eating and looks up as Stiles and Scott take seats with her, Scott next to her and Stiles across from her. Wiping her hands, she says, "Fill me in. What are we talking about, and why does Stiles say that dreams aren't memories?"

They tell her about the guy being wheeled to the ambulance, Stiles stressing that he's not dead, but Scott stressing back that he was still the one who did that to him. Nixie puts her hand over his and says, "Scott… take it easy. This morning, you thought it was just a dream, with Alison. After that, you thought you killed Alison. Now you're assuming you did that to this poor man. Stop assuming. It makes asses out of you and me."

Scott gives her a look and asks, "Who else could've done it then? Who else would've been on the bus?"

"I don't freaking know! But you're not the only werewolf in this town. Since you've been turned, we found Derek Hale, and even though she's dead, we found his sister too. And then there's the giant black wolf that actually bit you. So… there are other options."

Scott relaxes a little bit, and then Nixie turns to Stiles and says, "By the way, some dreams can be memories. If the memory is powerful enough to stick around in your head, even in the subconsciousness of sleep."

Stiles and Scott look at each other, and then shrug. And Stiles might've asked how she knew that, but that's when something else incredibly rare happened. Lydia took the vacant seat on the other side of Nixie, and then added, "I had nightmares when I was little, about when a dog got into my room and tore through my closet. Haunted me for months."

Nixie raises an eyebrow at her. They were friends, for sure. But Lydia never sat with them… even though Nixie was there. They're friendship, aside from the obvious schoolwork partnership they had, mostly existed outside of the walls of the school. They'd see each other and talk and be fine together, but it was mostly outside that they actually sought each other's company.

Most of that was Jackson's fault, and even then he couldn't stop Lydia from seeing Nixie altogether in or outside of school. Like Nixie said… Lydia could be a force to be reckoned with when she wanted to be.

In any case, it was a rarity for her to sit with other people, rather than take a seat at an empty table and then wait for others to come to her.

Of course… it becomes apparent what her purpose is after the other people do flock to sit with the rest of them. Lydia arranges it beautifully so that instead of Scott and Alison having a date, it's going to be Lydia and Jackson hanging out with them as well.

Nixie, leaning back in her seat to keep from feeling claustrophobic with all the new bodies around, looks at Jackson when he says, "You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork."

Grinning, Nixie sits forward and says, "Wow Jackson. We finally agree on something."

It helps take the tension out of the air when, instead of stunned silence or awkward glares, Danny almost spits water out of his nose from laughing. Grinning at Danny, Nixie leans back again, and then nudges Scott before whispering, "It'll be fine. Just don't say anything stupid."

* * *

"I thought Nixie said to NOT say anything stupid! You are a terrible bowler Scott!"

Scott groans and says back to Stiles, "I know! I'm such an idiot."

Stiles huffs, "My God, it was like watching a train wreck. Terrible, but you also can't look away."

Nixie nods, "Headed by a red-haired demon."

Glancing at her, Stiles asks, "Are you talking about my future wife?"

"I'm talking about Lydia, yes."

Stiles sputters unintelligibly for a moment, and then starts, "But she's…"

"Conniving. Not always, and generally her plots aren't meant for evil. But that was a selfish act on her part. She knew it was supposed to be a date. She's not stupid."

Upon seeing how upset Scott is about the whole 'hang out' thing with Alison, and how miffed Nixie is about the 'Lydia' thing; Stiles goes for a drastic change in subject by saying, "I don't think Danny likes me very much. Am I not attractive to gay guys?" Scott gives him a look, but then checks his watch and hurries off so he's not late for work. Stiles holds out his hand as though desperately waiting for a response, "Wait, you didn't answer my question!"

His attempt at lightening the mood might not have worked on Scott, but Nixie finally grins again. Linking her arm through his for a moment, she replies, "You are so hot to gay guys Stiles. But it wouldn't suit you. Not with the whole, 'I will one day marry Lydia' thing anyway."

Grinning at her, he sighs and then asks, "Now what? Should we chase down Scott?"

"No. He's going to work, not to frolic in the woods looking for bunny rabbits to eat."

"Frolic? Really?"

"I prefer that to the more probable idea of 'sprint and chasing down prey' bit."

"Ah. So… if we're not following him… what are we doing?"

Nixie pretends to glance at her watch, which she doesn't have, and then says, "Time to start on this damn paper we need to write."

"What?! But…"

"Nope. Come on. Scott's fine for now, and he'll come over later to work on it with us too. For now though, it's just you and me."

Stiles groans in disappointment, "Fine. But you have to be nice to my paper."

"Then you need to write it better the first time around." Grinning at Stiles offended gasp, Nixie says, "Don't worry though. One day, young grasshopper, you will learn the ways of the English language."

"Yeah, and one day you'll learn how to make a paragraph out of more than one sentence."

"Oh whatever!"

* * *

When Scott tells Stiles and Nixie that he went to Derek, Stiles freaks out.

Nixie isn't surprised though. Scott was too worried about hurting Alison, about whether or not he hurt the driver, to not go to drastic measures. He had felt better with Nixie's reassurances, for sure… but not completely convinced. He wanted to know what he'd done. He had to. And he needed Derek to do that.

Which is why Nixie is here, outside the Hale property, leaning against a tree. She's honestly not positive about what she's about to do… but if Scott is losing control in his sleep, and if he does lose control in the future… well, her motor bike isn't up and running yet, so there isn't a chance in hell she can keep up with him, much less catch him. And in order to take care of Scott and protect him… well, she needed access to someone who could keep up with him.

Sighing, she stands up off the tree and then says to the air in general, "If you're here… stop being an ass and get down here. I need to talk to you."

"I was wondering when you were going to make up your mind."

Turning around, Nixie finds Derek behind her, leaning against another tree. Rolling her eyes, she asks, "And how long have you been there?"

"Most of the time you've been standing here, wondering whether to talk to me or not."

She narrows her eyes at him, but then says, "I know Scott came to you for help."

"Yes."

"Can you help him?"

Derek blinks at her, surprised by the idea that she wasn't straight up telling him to leave Scott alone. She genuinely wanted to know if he could. Nodding, he says in what he hopes is a kind tone, "Yes."

She nods, but crosses her arms and puts on a contemplative look as she asks, "How?"

"I can teach him how to control the shift, even during full moons. It won't be easy at first… but I can teach him."

Nixie nods again, and then asks the question that she really doesn't want to... but she needs to. Meeting Derek's gaze evenly, she asks, "If he does lose control… can you stop him?"

Tilting his head at her as he steps closer, he says, "Define stop."

"I mean stop. Just simply stop. Not kill… and hopefully not hurt him. But just stop him."

Derek watches her closely, and then admits, "That's more difficult to say. Newly turned werewolves are the most volatile, because of their lack of control. Normally I'd say yes… but I'm not sure that would be accurate."

Nixie nods, though he can tell she's not exactly thrilled with that answer, honest though it may be. Then she sighs and steps up to him. His eyes widen again in shock at the movement, so she throws up her hands and asks, "What? What the hell am I doing that you find so freaking amazing?"

"You're walking up to me like I'm not a threat."

"You're not."

Narrowing his eyes, Derek says, "You realize I could rip your throat out, with my teeth, right?"

Nixie rolls her eyes, "Probably. And then Scott would kill you himself." They stare at each other for a moment, and then Nixie sighs. Shrugging, she explains, "You're not a bad guy. At least… I don't think you are. And I'm pretty good at knowing about these things. You might not be perfect, or anywhere near… well, nice. But you're not evil." Nodding to herself once more, she adds, "And you're all he's got, so I'll take it." Coming up to him finally, she hands him a slip of paper and says, "That's my number. Put it in your phone. Do not lose it. And if anything happens to him or changes for him… call me."

Derek stares at her for a moment, and then asks, "And what do I get in return?"

"I won't threaten to beat the crap out of you anymore. I'll keep my threats to lightly maiming."

"But you'll still threaten me?"

"If I think you need it, yes." Sighing, Nixie then adds, "Now… if you'll excuse me… I have to go and help Stiles and Scott."

"With what?"

"With remembering."

Reaching out for her, though he draws his hand back before he actually touches her, he warns, "That might not be a good idea for you."

"I know. I'm going anyway."

"Why?"

Nixie shrugs, "Scott says I make things easier for him. Must be all my sarcastic and charismatic charm."

Derek rolls his eyes as she walks away. Confounding pain in the ass that she was… it was still all the more apparent to him just how much she cared for Scott and the other boy. She wasn't stupid. She obviously knew it could be dangerous to go with Scott to the bus. But she was going anyway, because that's what Scott needed from her.

So even if Derek can't stop Scott from doing anything else… he'll at least make sure Scott doesn't hurt Nixie or Alison. Because if Scott ended up hurting either… well, Derek's pretty sure Scott wouldn't be able to live with himself.

But as Nixie is walking back to her bike, she stops and turns when Derek asks, "Why are you trusting me?"

Looking at him evenly again, she answers, "I'm not. Not completely. But I can't stop Scott from turning to you for help. And like I already said. You're all he's got to turn to… at least in the realm of someone whose actually dealt with this before."

Derek sighs and asks, "You've been threatening me from the moment we first met. Because you thought I'd hurt them. And now… what? Now you don't think I will?"

Nixie gives him a look, and then sighs and says, "First of all, I don't think your stupid, so no, I don't think you'll hurt them now. At least, not unless you have to hurt Scott to stop him." Stepping towards him again, she says, "And I already said I know you're not perfect. And I personally don't think you're anywhere close to perfect." Derek raises an eyebrow at her, but she shrugs, and then says, "But… it says a lot about you… that even after we had a hand in getting you arrested, that you still offered Scott help."

Derek's eyes actually soften, and Nixie thinks he actually looks a tiny bit impressed with her opinion. She wasn't giving him her number or 'allowing' him to talk to Scott out of desperation. She'd thought it through, right up to the point where Scott asked him for help already. And she was willing to try to let him help, in spite of her doubts.

Nodding to him, Nixie then adds, "So don't screw up too badly. As of late, I only have so much patience to give out freely."

Turning back to her bike again, Nixie sighs, "And currently a lot of that is being spent on Lydia. But… not important right now. Right now… Scott. Let's just get to Scott."

* * *

"Stiles! Someone has to keep watch!"

Stiles, who was about ready to climb the fence into the lot where the bus is being held, huffs and asks, "Okay, why does this suddenly feel like you're Batman and I'm Robin? I don't want to be Robin all the time."

Scott squints at him, and then says, "Nobody's Batman and Robin any of the time."

"Not even some of the time?!"

Nixie laughs, and then shrugs at Stiles withering look. "Whatever. Let's go, Scott."

Stiles flails his arms wildly, "And how come she gets to go?"

Smirking at Stiles, she says, "Because I'm not Batgirl. I'm Catwoman. Which means Batman has no say in what I do and don't do." Then, to appease Stiles' offended face, she says in seriousness, "I make it easier for Scott to keep control. I'm not Alison, by any means. But I am something. So please, Stiles. Just go keep watch."

"Oh my God! Fine!" But he still gives her shoulder a comforting squeeze before he goes, so Nixie knows he's not really all that upset about it.

As they're approaching the bus and Scott's breathing becomes uneven, Nixie puts a hand on his back and says, "It's alright Scott. They're just memories. And I'm right here. Just take a breath, and one step at a time. I'm here if you need me. Alright?"

"Right."

He freaks out several times, both before and while he's on the bus. But so long as he reaches back for Nixie, just to assure himself that she's there, he's able to keep it together.

Then Stiles starts honking the horn, and Nixie snaps her head up to see the headlights approaching the bus in the lot. "Scott… we've gotta go. Come on."

He blinks into the lights for a moment, and then turns and shouts, "Alright, move!"

They scurry down the bus steps and out into the yard. And because Nixie knows Scott will be faster, she says, "Go. I'll be fine."

He just gives her an incredulous look, "I'm not leaving you here! Come on!"

And before she can protest… he picks her up just like Derek had, and he sprints with her towards the fence. Now… Nixie isn't heavy by any means. Scott knows that… and knows that even when he'd been a normal kid, he would've still managed to pick her up if he'd needed to. That being said… currently she felt light as a feather in his arms, and running with her didn't feel a whole lot harder than running by himself.

Jumping the fence however, proved slightly tricky. And the landing even more so. He couldn't keep his footing and they stumbled and rolled in the dirt for a moment. But… at least they were on the other side of the fence.

Scott leans up on his arms and looks down at her and asks worriedly, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

But Nixie is laughing, and Scott can't help but grin when she says, "Are you kidding? That was awesome! We need to work on your balance, but for that being the first time you did anything like that… that was freaking great. Now come on, before all your effort turns out to be for nothing and we get caught anyway."

The clamber back into Stiles' jeep, and after he spins away and starts heading back down the road, Scott explains what he saw in the memories he was able to recall. Nixie frowns and asks, "Derek? Are you sure?"

Nodding, Scott assures, "It had to be Nixie."

Stiles frowns though, "I don't get it then. Why would he help you remember that he attacked the driver?"

"I don't know! That's what I don't get either."

Stiles ponders it a moment, and then offers up, "Well, maybe it's a pack thing. Like an initiation or something. You do the kill together."

Scott gives him a look and asks, "Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?"

Nixie sighs from the back and says, "First of all, as far as werewolves go… maybe that is a bonding experience for some of them. But, and this is second of all, the bottom line is that you didn't do it." Leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him, she says, "You didn't kill him, Scott. You're not a killer."

Scott grins after a moment more of thought, and says, "Which means I can go out with Alison?"

Nixie then laughs as Stiles says, "And… you know, more importantly… that you won't try to kill us!"

"Oh yeah. That too." Scott then smiles back at Nixie and adds, "Thanks."

Nixie shrugs like it's no big deal. "Sure thing. So… how are we going to celebrate this wonderful revelation?"

Stiles chuckles, "My dad actually just bought a Clint Eastwood movie set, and we have popcorn."

And both boys laugh when Nixie asks, "And we decided to come out here and do this instead of have a movie marathon? Our priorities are so out of whack."

* * *

"Um… pass."

Nixie sighs from the corner of the Alison's room as Lydia debunks yet another of Alison's clothing style choices for the evening. They'd gone through at least ten just in the time that Nixie had been standing here.

When she'd been called to come here, Nixie had actually almost said no. Not because of Alison… but because she could hear Lydia in the background and didn't really want to deal with her right now. Best friend or not… Lydia was still currently screwing with Scott's life, which was not okay. She was trying to be subtle about it… but Nixie wasn't stupid.

Lydia was apparently forgetting that. And apparently forgetting who exactly she could and couldn't mess with and still not need to worry about Nixie smacking her upside the head. Maybe Nixie should do something to remind her. But… that'll be worried about later.

Right now, she's here anyway because Alison begged her to come. Lydia kept debunking outfits and Alison didn't want to be one of those girls that was late because she couldn't pick out an outfit fast enough.

Nixie promised that at the very least, she'd cut Lydia off after the fifteenth outfit when she got there. So Lydia had about five more times to say no, and then Nixie was pulling the plug on her ability to make that decision for the night.

And Lydia probably had a good idea that Nixie was close to cutting her off, because when she debunked an eleventh outfit, she decided to just go through the closet herself. "Pass on all of it. Seriously Alison, respect for your taste in clothing is dwindling by the second."

Nixie raises an eyebrow, and then comes over and scans the closet herself. The wardrobe already had more clothing than she'd ever owned in her life. Nixie supposes she's lucky Lydia is friends with her at all, if a sense of fashion is something required for that friendship to exist in the first place. The only fashionable things she even owned were the ones Lydia had bought for her.

Anyway… Nixie spots a black sequined shirt and pulls it out. Holding it up to Alison, she nods and says, "This. And maybe a jacket and a scarf."

Alison sighs in relief, and then asks, "Shorts or jeans you think? Or skirt?"

"Definitely not a skirt. You're bowling. And I'd say jeans, just because I know it gets cold in the alley a lot. You'll end up freezing otherwise."

"Great! Thanks."

Lydia sighs as Alison starts changing and then says to Nixie, "I would've found something eventually."

Nixie grits her teeth for a moment before managing to get out, "Before or after you told us what was wrong with every single piece of clothing in her closet?"

Lydia didn't miss the hint of resentment that was in Nixie's voice, but before she could comment, Nixie was already reaching into the closet again. A black leather jacket had caught her eye, and as Nixie pulled it down, she couldn't help but smile at the feel of it. The texture was leather, but the jacket itself didn't feel stiff or restricting like most other leather jackets she'd seen. It felt flexible and durable all at the same time. Nixie usually didn't care what type of clothes other people owned, but she did have a favorite item in Alison's closet. And this was it.

Coming back over, Alison smiles and says, "Dad bought me that. Had it specifically tailored for me."

Nixie nods in approval, "It's really nice."

"You like it?"

"I love it actually."

"Maybe my dad can tell you who made it and you can see about getting one."

Nixie hangs it back up and shakes her head. "Thanks. But I'd never be able to afford it. I'm scrimping through savings as it is trying to fix up the motorbike?"

Tilting her head in confusion, Alison asks, "Is it broken? I thought you said it had worked fine one day at some point."

Nixie laughs at Alison's question in amusement, "I'm not sure it was ever technically all fixed. I managed to make it work for a day though, which was progress at the time. I'll get it eventually. In any case, that's where my money's going right now." Turning back to Alison, Nixie adds, "But that's not what you need to worry about right now. You have bowling to get to. So you two go have fun."

She'd no sooner said it than Chris came in and told Alison that she'd be staying home tonight. And as Lydia picked at Alison being a daddy's girl, Alison was actually already fully prepared to climb out the window and jump off the roof to the ground below. "I've had eight years gymnastics lessons. I can handle it."

Before she goes though, Nixie grips her arm and says, "Alison, give me five minutes please." She looks at Nixie for a moment, but then nods and steps back inside.

In the hall outside, Chris turns as Nixie says, "Hey Chris! Can I have a minute?"

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

Pausing in front of him, Nixie then says, "Well… you can let Alison go bowling."

The man sighs, "Nixie… I just…"

"She's going to resent you for it."

Chris pauses at that, but then crosses his arms and asks, "Are you sure this isn't just because I'm stopping her from going out with your friend, Scott, tonight?"

The smile, even though it had been small at the time, immediately slips from Nixie's face and Chris notices it for the offended expression that it is. The rest of her face remains remarkably composed, but the lack of smile itself meant he had offended her greatly.

Stepping closer, but keeping her voice level, Nixie says, "Scott is like my brother and he means the world to me. Both he and Stiles do. But no… that's not why I'm trying to get you to let Alison go out tonight."

Chris watches her for a moment, and then asks, "Then why? It's dangerous, and…"

"It's dangerous to go out at any point in the day. That Laura Hale girl wasn't killed in the middle of the night, if you believe the examiner. They found her body at night, but she was killed during the day. So that excuse doesn't work." Nixie shrugs at the surprised look Chris gives her, clearly wondering how she already had that information. Not letting him get around to asking her that though, she presses on, "She will resent you for it. And not because you'd be keeping her from Scott. And not because she's some teenager who despises her parents whenever they tell her no. She'll resent you for it… because this makes it look like you don't trust her. She knows there's a curfew. She also knows that even if they wanted to bowl until later, the bowling alley is closing fifteen minutes before 9:30 to help enforce the curfew. So you telling her that she can't go because of a curfew… is pointless and honestly… it's just irritating."

Chris stares at her for a moment, surprised at how quickly she'd made him feel like the dumb one in this argument. Sighing again, he points a stern finger at her when he finally says, "If she's late… she's grounded for two weeks."

Nixie nods agreeably, "Thanks."

"Sure. Are you going too?"

"Nope."

Blinking in surprise, he asks, "So what… you just negotiate fun nights for your friends for the heck of it?"

Nixie finally smiles again, though it's still small. But her voice is kinder again when she answers, "Everyone needs to have some fun, Chris. They haven't had it in a while. Tonight's as good a night as any. Thanks again."

Chris finally smiles back at her, and then nods and says, "See you, Nixie."

"Later, Chris."

When Nixie comes back in the room, she looks to Lydia, and then glances around. Sighing, she peers out the window to see Alison already on the ground. Beaming up at Nixie, she says, "Told you I could handle it."

"I didn't say you couldn't. I was just trying to ensure that you didn't have to sneak out to have fun. Your dad cleared it by the way. But if you aren't home by curfew, you're grounded for two weeks."

When she and Lydia come outside to meet her, Alison hugs Nixie as tight as she can. "You are the best!"

"I know. Part of why I'm irreplaceable."

Alison laughs, and then asks sincerely, "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Nodding, Nixie promises, "I'm sure. I'll be working on my bike tonight. Let me know how it goes though."

"Alright."

And she would be working on her bike, but Lydia also knows that's only half the reason that Nixie wasn't coming. Because as much as Nixie had avoided the subject and as even though she knew Lydia would probably never dump him… Lydia still knew that Nixie couldn't stand Jackson. And she probably never would.

Lydia can't decide if it makes herself stubborn or stupid; the fact that she's still with Jackson anyway, in spite of all Nixie's warnings.

* * *

Nixie was riding home later, when she spotted Chris at a gas station. And also, a very sleek black car. And she only knew about one of those. Pulling into the lot, she makes it there in time to see one of the other men bash in Derek's driver side window. And Derek… well, he looked ready to kill somebody.

Chris was smirking, right up until he heard a familiar voice ask, "What the hell was that?!"

Derek jerks his head around to see her. How the hell she ends up being everywhere is a mystery to him, but here she is again.

And he thought he had hard eyes. But hers were fierce.

And Derek knows Chris sees it too, because for a moment the man is stunned silent. But then Chris says, "Hello Nixie. I'm sure you've seen Derek Hale around."

Her infuriated gaze remained in place even as she answers sarcastically, "Dark, brooding, and with kind of a stalker vibe. Hard to miss."

Chris smiles a little in spite of her eyes, "Yeah. We were just…"

"Being an ass."

Lifting his head to see hers again, he says, "Well see, I wouldn't call it…"

"I would."

Frowning, Chris says, "Young lady, that's…"

She stands up straight, her spin stiffening so fast, eyes flaring indignantly at him, that he shuts up instantly. The two men with him are kind of stunned that this young girl had the ability to strike any semblance of fear into him. But for their own parts… they couldn't blame him. She had gone from looking infuriated to looking deadly in a split second.

Stepping closer to him, Nixie says, "My mother is the only human being on the planet allowed to call me 'young lady'. As you are most certainly not her… you will not say it again." Then she adds, "Furthermore, I didn't say you were being an ass, as though it were an option for you to choose from. You are being an ass. Statement. Not a question."

Leaning back against the concrete post, Nixie then glances at Derek. Shrugging, she says, "Yeah. He's different. He's brooding and dark and has a stalker vibe. We said all that. And if I were a cop, I'd totally question him first if I suddenly found a dead body lying around."

Chris nods at that, but when he looks at her again, she still looks deadly. Her eyes… it was like she'd somehow turned them to steel, and it was intimidating.

A fifteen year old… intimidating a grown man. And he thought he'd seen close to everything.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she says, "But I can look twice as terrible as him when I want to. As I'm sure I do right now… I guess you'll want to take my bike and do something horrid to it. Slash the tires? Maybe toss it into the street and run it over a few times? Would that make you feel proud of yourselves?"

Of course, she knows the real reason they're being asses is because they know Derek's a werewolf. But she can't say that. And though she's not sure how much difference this will make… she hopes at the very least that it'll make Chris back off, just a little bit, in the future.

Chris, for his part, looks at her stunned again. How could she think..., "Nixie… you know I wouldn't…"

She steps down though, cutting him off as she says, "I'll just leave it here for you. No good to me when it's all messed up anyway." She's about to walk away, Chris trying to say something… anything to her. That's when she turns to him and adds, "And to think… I actually thought I was going to like you. You'll have to forgive me for that. I've never shown such bad judgment in my life."

And with a final glare, she says, "Goodnight, Mr. Argent."

He felt the sting as clearly as if she'd actually slapped him in the face. And as she walked away on down the road, he couldn't think of anything to say to call her back. He wanted to apologize even, but he wasn't even sure what exactly to apologize for yet.

Derek stares after the direction she went in for all of a second longer, and then moves. Grabbing her bike and maneuvering it into the backseat of his car, he hops into his car and speeds away without a second glance at Chris and his men.

One of his men comes up to Chris after and asks, "Sir… what just happened?"

Chris shakes his head, "I don't know. But I think…" He stares off after where Nixie went, and then admits begrudgingly, "I think we just pissed off someone we shouldn't have."

* * *

Nixie didn't mind walking. She was used to it. Whenever her bike got flat tires or she missed the bus in the early morning… she would walk from the apartments to school. It was a bit of a walk indeed. Jogging or running, even with shortcuts, took her somewhere between thirty minutes to an hour to get to school. But… she was used to it at this point. And so walking down the road didn't bother her.

The fact that a psychotic killer might be on the loose kind of did... but she's scrappy. She can climb a tree quick enough to get away is her thinking.

She's reached a fork in the road when Derek's sleek black car pulls up beside her. Stepping out, he opens the passenger door and says, "Get in."

"I can walk, Derek."

He sighs after a moment and says, "Please get in."

Nixie gives him an odd look, both surprised that he actually said 'Please', and finding it humorous that the term seemed to sound so foreign coming out of his lips. But then just shrugs and slides in while saying, "Whatever."

She gives him directions, and then after a moment of silence, Derek asks, "How did you do that?"

Raising an eyebrow, she asks, "Do what?"

"Shut him up. He thought for all of a second that he could actually talk down to you, and then after that he just stayed silent and listened. It was like you were the adult and he was the kid. How?"

Nixie shrugs, but Derek hears the change in her voice when she says, "My mom told me I did it even when I was too little to remember. I just… there were certain things that I knew I was right about. And when I knew I was right… well, heaven help anyone that didn't agree with me. She told me my eyes were like bullets, and people felt like they'd been hit right in the chest when I looked at them that way."

She thinks on that for a moment, and then adds for good measure, "Well… people who actually have sense anyway. Bad guys never seem to really care for my opinion, right or wrong."

Derek blinks in surprise, "So, you think Chris is still good?"

"I think Argent believes he's right. I don't think he's evil. Same as I don't think you're evil. But neither of you has much common sense at the moment."

Derek rolls his eyes and asks, "Remind me why I'm driving you home again?"

But his expression immediately softens again when Nixie answers immediately and easily, "Because you're not evil."

After he drops her off, pulling her bike out, he asks, "Where do I sit this?"

"Next to that one."

He puts it near the motorcycle in what must be her parking spot. Looking it over, he asks in surprise, but also with an impressed tone, "Is this yours?"

Nixie nods, "Yeah. Well, sort of. I found it, and it now has a license plate on it. But… well, it doesn't work. Yet. I'm going to fix it though. Soon as I get a little more cash."

And now Derek raises an eyebrow, "Do you even know what's wrong with it?"

"I'm pretty sure."

Sighing, though there is a brief moment when Nixie thinks he might've almost grinned in amusement, Derek then says, "Get me a wrench."

"Why?"

"Because you stopped me from trying to hurt any of them back there, which is exactly what they were trying to get me to do. So basically, you probably saved my life. I owe you. And I don't like owing people." Getting on the ground, removing his jacket, he says, "So get me a wrench. I'll see what I can do about this. At the very least, I'll confirm what parts you need. And when you get them, don't you dare try putting them in yourself."

Hands landing on her hips, Nixie declares, "I'll have you know that I could fix it all on my own."

Derek just gives her a look, "I know mechanics quite a bit more than you do. So just accept my help. Otherwise, who knows what you'll do to this thing."

"Oh, whatever."

But she gets him what he asks for, and doesn't argue anymore after that.

* * *

"He's dead."

Nixie sits up straighter in her bed and puts her history book down and asks, "Scott? What?"

"The bus driver. He's dead. Stiles just told me. They said that he succumbed to his wounds. But I know what really happened?"

"What really happened? You mean Stiles has a theory?"

"No. Derek did it. I know it."

Freezing for a moment, Nixie says, "Scott, listen to me. Derek…"

But Scott cuts her off, "I'm going to confront him. Don't follow alright."

"Scott…"

"You'll be in danger if you come. Just stay home."

"Scott!"

He hangs up, and Nixie's mouth hangs open for a second before she lunges out of bed. Slipping on pair of jeans, omitting the jacket and just running out in a pair of tennis shoes and a tank top, she pulls her hair back and hops on her bike.

And she prays to God that she makes it to Derek's house before Scott, or at least in time to stop one of them from killing the other.

* * *

Better late than never.

When Derek sees her sprint through the hole in his wall, the one Scott threw him through moments ago, he growls, "Get out!" Scott growls at him and pounces, but Derek spins out of the way.

Nixie watches the fight for a few moments, and then says, "Scott, stop. Listen!"

He just snarls again, not stopping, and actually gaining a slight upper hand on Derek. That's when Nixie rushes forward and puts herself in Scott's path. "Scott, listen to me!"

She knew he wasn't in full control. She'd been braced for snarling or even for him lunging at her a little bit. She still hadn't expected to suddenly be thrown across the room. Her back hit the wall with a resounding thud, and then she hit the ground on her left side equally as hard. Her shoulder screamed in pain, but she bit her tongue to keep silent as she tried to sit up.

On a more positive note though, all other activity in the room had finally ceased. Derek could see the horror on Scott's face as it slowly changed back to a human one. Derek shifted back as well, and then came over to Nixie on the floor. Sitting her up, he says, "I told you to get out."

To which she exclaims, "And obviously, I decided not to listen."

Sarcastic as ever, but he doesn't miss the wince on her face. Looking her over, he asks, "What hurts?"

"My shoulder."

Scott scurries over now too and says, "Nix… Nix I'm so sorry. I didn't… I would never…"

Nixie just nods and says calmly, "I know, Scott. It's okay."

He just huffs in response and gestures frantically behind her, "I threw you into a wall!"

"And I'm tougher than I look. Compact ninja… remember." When Scott finally grins a little, Nixie then adds, "But don't ever repeat that."

"Yes ma'am."

Derek glances between them briefly, and then goes back to looking at Nixie's shoulder. "You dislocated it."

She nods to him, and then asks, "Can you pop it back in?"

Leaning back to look at her, Derek says, "That's going to hurt."

"It's gonna hurt whether you or a doctor does it. Can you?"

"Yeah."

"Then please do."

Scott takes her right hand in his while Derek puts her left one on his shoulder. Positioning his hands on either side of her shoulder, he says, "On three."

She shakes her head, "Don't count. Just…"

Her jaw clamps shut as he knocks her shoulder back into place, not counting at all and interrupting her sentence. And without having time to tense up and brace for it… it didn't hurt as much.

Still hurt like a bitch… but Nixie is already starting to feel better, so she sighs and relaxes back against the wall again.

Derek shakes his head at her, "I can't decide whether your stupid, crazy, or just stubborn."

Lifting a finger, Nixie says, "Stubborn and crazy, I'll give you. I am not, however, stupid. Not by any means."

Scott then finally looks at Derek again, and then lowers his head while saying, "Nix… he…"

"He didn't kill the bus driver."

And then Scott jerks in surprise when she smacks him upside the head. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"For hanging up on me while I was talking. Do not ever do that again."

"Okay fine. But…"

"Derek was with me."

Scott blinks at that, and then asks, "What? When?"

Nixie rolls her eyes, "Tonight, obviously. I'll give you details later. Bottom line, Derek was with me, so he couldn't have killed your old bus driver. And also, we already discussed that I don't think he killed his sister."

Scott nods, but then says, "But… the bite…"

"And I told you that he didn't bite you, and he confirmed it. I thought we were at least already set on that."

"Well…"

Nixie turns to Derek and pleads tiredly, "Please just tell him in your own words."

Derek nods to her, and then explains, "I didn't bite you, Scott. And even if I had, I couldn't have turned you."

Scott tilts his head and asks, "What?"

Nixie raises an eyebrow, "That's news to me too? What's that about?"

Derek puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her moving when it looks like she means to lean closer and demand he answer her faster. Making sure he's still certain her shoulder is staying in place, he looks to them both and continues. "I'm not an alpha. I'm a beta. So is Scott. Betas and Omegas can't turn humans into werewolves. Only alphas can do that." And then he confesses, "My sister came here looking for him. The alpha, I mean. Now I'm trying to find him." Turning to Scott, he adds, "But I don't think I can without you."

Scott blinks, "Me? Why me?"

"Because he bit you, so you're in his pack. It's you that he wants, more than anything else right now."

Nixie, pushing Derek's hand away gently so he can't keep holding her down, then slowly rises to her feet. Derek and Scott both watch her closely to make sure she doesn't fall down. Then she looks at Derek and asks, "And you couldn't have started with that when we all first met?"

He shrugs, "I wasn't sure Scott was the werewolf at first. Then… you all already hated me."

Scoffing, Nixie says, "We didn't hate you." And at the skeptical look he gives her, she adds, "We were wary, sure. But as I've stated several times today, you give off a very stalker type of vibe. If we weren't wary of you from the start, I would fear for our sanity." Then she turns to Scott and asks, "Are we good now?"

He struggles with his answer for a moment, but finally answers, "Yeah. I think… but…" Scott looks at her, and then at Derek, and then says, "Derek slashed open my chest. I mean… why aren't you…"

Nixie turns to Derek, and then back to Scott and says, "He only did that at the end, after you threw me into a wall. Before then… he wasn't really trying to hurt you. I was watching, I know."

Derek nods, and then freezes completely when he feels her suddenly slap him in the back of the head. Turning to her slowly, he asks, "And what exactly was that for?"

"For hurting Scott. Necessary as it might've been, you still did it. And I reserve the right to slap, hit, and possibly maim anyone that hurts people I care about."

When Derek continues to stare at her a moment more, Nixie shrugs and says, "You'll get used to me eventually. At least I didn't use a bat this time. Progress, yeah?"

* * *

Chapter 3! Woohoo! As always, let me know what you think, and hopefully chapter 4 will be posted shortly. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 4: Episode 1x4

Nixie comes out of her last period of the day with a plan. Head to Stiles' house, look over his paper for him while he looked online for the motorcycle parts she needed, hopefully finding them at decent prices, and then they would both work on Biology while eating Chinese and watching another of the Clint Eastwood movies his dad had purchased.

That plan, however, gets sucked down the drain when she comes out of class and sees Derek walking down the hall. And she would've berated him for showing up in school, which was bound to be considered awkward, if he didn't already look like he was going to fall over any second. He was sweating everywhere it looked like, his face was twisted as though in immense pain, and if she's not mistaken there is blood dripping down his left arm.

"Derek?" He pauses in the hall, and then turns to where he heard her voice come from. Walking up to him, she asks, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I got shot."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "You got shot? That's it? Why aren't you healing?"

It was the lack of irritation on his face at her question that told her something was really wrong here. He didn't look annoyed that she didn't already know what he was talking about. Instead his eyes glazed over briefly before he blinked them back into focus while answering her, "I can't. It was a different kind of bullet."

Nixie frowns deeper, "You can't? So… wait…" She looks at him closer, and then her eyes widen and she asks, "Are you dying?!" Derek huffs, but it's still not in annoyance right now. He's just having severe trouble breathing and catching his breath.

He was. He actually was dying. Slowly, for sure, but he was dying.

Nixie's only response to that, at least first, is, "Shit." Grabbing his good arm and slipping hers through his, she walks him down the hall as fast as she can get him to move while saying, "If you think you're going to fall over, grab onto me."

Sighing in aggravation as his inability to move on his own, he asks, "Where are we going?"

"Stiles' car. It's not like I can carry you on my bike." Outside, Stiles is almost ready to pull out when Nixie shouts, "Stiles! Wait up!" Derek winces from how loud her voice sounds in his ear, but then he looks at her in surprise when she says sincerely, "Sorry, Derek. Come on."

Stiles balks at them and asks, "What are you doing?! Why are you opening my door?! Wait… he can't…"

"Stiles!" He shuts up and looks at her, and then she says, "Find Scott. Quickly."

She gets in Stiles' driver seat and backs up, preparing to move forward. That's when the jeep stalls and stops. Groaning in frustration, Nixie says, "I know why you're so important to him… but I seriously hate you right now."

Derek raises an eyebrow at her and asks, "Nix… who are you..."

"I'm talking to Stiles' jeep." And when Derek looks about to comment, Nixie points at him and says, "Don't upset her anymore than she already is. Believe me… she can hear you."

"You just said you hate this thing."

"She's used to me though."

When Stiles comes back with Scott, he demands, "What is going on?"

While Derek talks to him, Stiles and Nixie go pop his hood to see if they can make it start again. Sighing, Stiles says, "I've got this. I'd work faster if all the honking would stop."

Nixie honestly hadn't noticed all the cars honking. She didn't really care. But Stiles' hands were twitching more and more by the second, obviously made nervous by all the noise. Patting his back, she says, "Just fix it, Stiles. I got this."

Now… Lydia and Alison, even though Alison had only been here a month at best, both knew Nixie was protective, and that her influential skills stretched far and wide; at least in the area of making people back off of or be nice to 'her boys'. It's how Alison was allowed to go out bowling with Scott. It's the reason Alison was actually sent to school the next day with a hand-written letter from her father for Nixie to read… apparently, he needed to apologize to her about something.

Regardless of what either of them had known… neither had actually seen it to it's fullest extent until just now. Because everyone was honking and trying to get them to move forward. Well, except for Alison. Everyone was bitching and cursing and trying to honk their way into getting out of the parking lot sooner.

As soon as Nixie stepped around the jeep, eyes glaring and pinning onto every single car for a second, all the noise ceased. Lydia, inside of Jackson's car, looked around in surprise at the sudden silence, and then realized that even Jackson had stopped.

The look on his face, wide-eyed and slightly afraid, was something she hadn't actually seen on him before. Facing towards the front, she couldn't help but mutter, "Holy shit." And not just because Nixie had managed to silence the entire parking lot. It was also the first time she'd ever seen Nixie's eyes so dark, so targeted, and so angry. If heat vision could actually be a superpower, Nixie would have it.

Alison stepped out of her car when Nixie started turning back around. "Nix… is everything okay?"

Her expression instantly softens upon seeing Alison's face. Smiling gently, she answers, "It will be. Got a few personal issues for the day that I hadn't exactly planned to have. Don't worry though. Nothing a good nap and some ice cream can't fix. I'll keep you posted. You're studying with Scott tonight right?"

"Oh… yeah!"

Grinning, Nixie adds, "Have fun. And… please do try to make sure he learns at least a little something."

Alison laughs, "I'll do my best."

"Thanks."

Stiles' jeep cranks, and then he scrambles over to the bike rack to grab her bike and shove it in the trunk. She climbs into the backseat and then asks Derek, "Do we have a plan?"

He nods tiredly, "Scott's going to try and find out what kind of bullet was used."

"Great."

Hopping in and pulling out of the parking lot, Stiles then asks, "Where am I going?"

Nixie shrugs and says on a worried sigh, "No idea. Right now, just drive Stiles. I need to think."

Derek was dying. Derek… one of the only other sources of help they had for Scott, was dying.

And though Stiles wasn't entirely sure how serious he should consider the situation before, he knows it's exceptionally bad when Nixie finally just says, "Damn it!"

* * *

"We're almost there."

Nixie hadn't even realized they'd been driving for over an hour, when Stiles finally says that. Blinking in confusion, she's about to ask where, but Derek beats her to it. Except that when Stiles says he's going to Derek's house, Derek immediately says, "You can't take me there."

Stiles jerks spastically in his seat, glancing at him, back at the road, and then at him again before blurting out, "I can't take you to your own house?!"

"Not when I can't protect myself."

So instead, Stiles pulls over. Running a hand over his head, he then asks, "What happens if Scott doesn't find this stupid bullet? Are you dying?"

Nixie leans forward, effectively pushing Stiles back into his seat, and says for Derek, "Yes, he's in the process of dying." Then she turns to Derek and asks, "And what if we don't get this bullet?"

"I have a last resort."

Nixie doesn't like the sound of that, and likes it even less when Derek pulls up the sleeve on his shirt to look at the wound. Stiles gags a little and asks, "Oh my God! Is that contagious? You should probably just get out." And on any other day, Derek might've actually laughed when Stiles' whole body jerked forward when Nixie hit him in the back of the head. "Ow! Seriously!"

She just gives Stiles a look, "He's dying. You don't just tell him to get out."

"But…"

"Drive."

Stiles gives her a look before trying putting his foot down firmly, "No, alright! And he can't make me either. I'll…"

But Derek cuts him off. Leaning into Stiles' face, he grits out, "Start the car. Now. Or I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth."

It takes Stiles a minute to wrap his head around that threat, but then he starts the car and moves on. Derek feels a very light tap on the back of his head. Tilting his head slightly so she knows he's talking to her, Derek says, "I accept that I deserved that in your eyes."

Her hand then lands on his shoulder, and she says, "Just save your energy Derek. You're gonna need it."

* * *

When Stiles let Derek go to answer his phone, Nixie nearly dropped him. The man was turning into dead weight, and he was paler than normal. And considering he was usually already pale… that was superbly scary to see.

Gritting her teeth to try and hold him up, she manages to get him over to a pile of dog food bags, and lets him slump down and sit there. Sighing as she looks him over, she says, "You're burning up."

He nods, not able to really add anything additional to that at this point. Then they look at Stiles when he says, "Okay… good news and bad news."

Nixie sighs, "Bad first."

"Alright. Scott can't get to the bullet. Alison's parents and her aunt won't leave him alone enough long enough for that."

"The good news had better be exceptionally good."

Stiles looks like he isn't sure whether it is or not, but tells her anyway. "Scott does know where it is. He just can't get there himself."

They all take a moment to ponder that, and then Nixie asks, "Is Scott still on the phone?"

"Yeah."

"Give me…" Stiles hands over his phone, and Nixie asks Scott, "Which room is it in?"

Her boy sounds exhausted when he answers, "Downstairs guest room."

"Alright. Listen, just stay with the parents. Eat dinner, be charming… don't worry about it. Leave when you can, and get to the clinic as fast as possible after that. Got it?"

"Yeah. But…"

"Don't worry, Scott. I got this." Hanging up and tossing back Stiles' phone, she says, "I'll figure out what it is."

Stiles blinks in surprise, "How? You're here."

"Yeah, but I won't be soon. I need the keys to your jeep." Hefting Derek up again, she adds, "But first, open the door Stiles."

"But… why…"

"Now!"

Stiles huffs and opens the door and rushes inside. Nixie starts dragging Derek along, but he stops her and asks, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to deviate a bit from the norm, break off the tip of my moral compass, and I'm going to break into a house, steal from the Argents, and find a way to save you. Hopefully before you get to your last resort, whatever that is."

Derek stares at her, and then grabs her by the back of the neck.

Nixie… was not prepared for that. Not even when he grabbed her. She thought maybe he was just slipping again and looking for support. But instead… she was dragged towards him… and then his lips were on hers.

For a first kiss… it was not exactly a girl's dream. Not terrible, but not a dream. He moved his lips against hers and she gave in because she knew she couldn't fight him without hurting him further. And considering he was a dying werewolf, she thinks he still did a pretty good job in the kissing department. That being said, she hadn't had a say in the matter.

So when he finally lets go and leans back, she points at him and asks, "What the hell was that?"

"Me… taking a last request in case I do die."

She stares at him for a moment, the look on her face telling him she was caught between feeling sorry for him, and also wanting to slap him in the face. She apparently settled on something in between. "You won't die. And when you don't… I'm going to slap you in the face."

Derek manages a slight grin before saying, "Fine."

She nods sternly, as though solidifying the idea that she now basically had his permission. Then she adds for good measure, "And for the record… when you do end up living… we are not going to suddenly become a 'thing' because you did that."

"Good. I think I'd probably end up killing you."

She can't help grinning at that. "Glad we agree on something finally." Dragging him inside finally, she says to Stiles, "Keys."

He tosses them to her, and then says, "Be careful with my baby."

"She'll be fine. Keep him alive."

"Fine. But only because I know you'll be pissed if I don't."

"Damn straight."

* * *

At Alison's house, she sneaks in through Alison's upper window, scaling a gutter and slipping in that way. After that, it was all about just staying quiet, making her way downstairs, and then finding the bag in the guest room. Tricky? Absolutely. Impossible? Nope.

Nixie knows how to stay quiet. You walk along the edge of the hall and stairs, not down the middle. If anything is going to creak, it'll creak because you were standing in the middle, the most structurally unsound part of it. You walk on your toes, because the heels of your feet were what was going to make the most sound on the floor.

Most importantly, you didn't do anything so strenuous that it would make you breathe louder than necessary. Because sometimes that was all you had to do to give yourself away.

Once down the stairs through, she rounds the corner and makes her way down the hall to the guest room. She could unlock that window from within the room and get out that way after that. So long as she left no trace of herself, no one would be any wiser.

Shutting the door behind her, she pulls the bag out from under the bed and looks through the multitude of bullets inside. It was like looking at a maze from above. More illuminating, but not exactly helpful since she didn't already know the pattern to get to the exit.

It took her another minute, but she finally found the box that was actually already missing a bullet. And honestly, it was the only bullet set that actually looked like there was something unique about it, this box being wooden instead of metal like the rest, and the bullets having a hint of blue on the tip instead of just being complete metal like the rest.

Reading the label on the top, she calls Stiles and whispers, "Find a computer and translate something for me."

She gives him the words, and when he comes back with Nordic blue monkshood, Nixie hisses, "Well ask Derek! I don't know what it means!"

Silence for a moment, and then Stiles comes back with, "He says it's a rare form of wolfsbane and that he needs the bullet brought here."

Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Fine. I'll be back soon."

She'd no sooner said it than she heard someone coming down the hall towards the room. Quickly stashing the bullet in her pocket and zipping up the bag, she shoves it back in place under the bed. Then she dashes to the window, unlocks it, and slips outside and carefully slides it back shut. She'd move faster, but then she'd make more noise. And at this point, noise was what was going to get her caught, not a partially opened window. The Argents had just moved, so whoever it was could assume that they just hadn't noticed it was open until now.

Or… being that they were probably all paranoid, maybe Kate or whoever else found the window would do an entire and through search of the house to figure out where the intruder was. In which case, all Nixie had to do was make sure she was gone and off their property as fast as possible. Not the easiest thing to do, but not the hardest either.

Of course, she didn't need to worry about that. Nixie managed to get the window shut and then ducked down beneath the bottom ledge of the window just as the door inside opened.

Listening carefully, she waits until she hears the door open and shut again, and then takes off at a sprint from the house and down the street where she'd left Stiles' jeep. Cranking it and flooring the pedal down, she speeds off back towards the clinic, praying that Derek is still fine when she gets there.

* * *

"Now! You gotta do it now!"

Nixie speeds around the corner at the sound of Derek's angry shouting. "Do what?"

Stiles looks over at her and exclaims, "Thank God! He's puking up black gunk, and he wants me to chop off his arm!"

Nixie blinks, and then looks over at him incredulously before asking, "That's your last resort?"

Derek glares at her, she thinks. His eyes are honestly so hazed over that if she didn't know him well enough already, she wouldn't be able to to tell. Then he asks, "You have a better one?"

She doesn't have a better last resort. At least, not at the moment. But she still doesn't look happy about what his had been. Coming in and pulling the bullet out of her pocket, she says, "I got it. Now what?"

"Now… now I need to…"

And that's when he faints. Of all the damn freaking times he could've chosen to pass out, he had to do it now, when they finally had the solution in hand. And not only that, but as Scott dashes in, Derek drops the bullet and it falls down a drain.

Cursing under her breath, Nixie moves to straddle Derek on the floor while shouting, "Scott!"

His eyes widen at the sight of Derek sprawled out on the floor, looking like he was basically already dead. "Oh my God!"

He dashes over to see if he can help, but Nixie just points to the side of the room. "He dropped it down that drain. Get it! Hurry!"

As he moves over to look for it, Nixie shakes Derek's face anxiously while demanding, "Wake up. Derek, wake up. Now damn it! Come on!" When he still doesn't wake up, Nixie curses again and asks, "Scott?!"

"I got it!"

Back to Derek, she thinks on it for a minute. Not having any better ideas, she sighs, "Well, I was gonna hit you anyway." Reeling back with a fist, she punches him as hard as she can in the face. His eyes snap open almost instantly, still dazed and half dead looking, but at least he's awake.

He instantly reaches for the bullet, and then stands up, moving Nixie with him and then setting her to the side while he leans against the table again. Taking the bullet and breaking it open, dumping the grains of pellets on the table, he grabs a lighter and burns them. Then he scoops them up and slaps them into the open wound on his arm.

And then he's screaming. Surging back, he starts falling down again, and would've slammed his head against the ground. Except Nixie manages to get under him and sort of break his fall. She hits the ground herself, but at least she's got him. He writhes in agony on the ground, but her cold hands on his neck bring him a bit of solace as she says, "It's alright Derek. You're healing. It's working."

And it did finally. When the wound finally sealed up again, Nixie sighed and slumped back against the wall behind her, letting herself breathe easy for the first time all day.

Derek sits up and turns to look down at her, and then rises to his feet and reaches down for her. Scott breathes a sigh of relief and asks, "Are you okay now?"

Raising an eyebrow, Derek asks, "You mean except for the agonizing pain?"

Stiles rolls his eyes, "I'm guessing the use of sarcasm is a good sign of health."

And Derek would've glared, if Nixie hadn't started laughing. Hopping up on the table and sighing in relief, she says, "Of course it is."

Derek raises an eyebrow at her, but then turns to Scott. Trying to make himself sound stern and serious, Scott says, "Look, we saved your life. Which means… you have to leave us alone. Alright? You can't just…"

"Scott…" He turns his attention towards her, and Nixie says in a tone meant to show her disappointment in him, "First of all, you can't just go to him for help when you need it, and then tell him that he has to leave you alone because you saved his life once. That's just rude." Then she turns to Derek and adds in a kinder voice, "But… and I cannot stress this enough… you cannot come to the school again like you did today. I know it was desperate times and all, but that can't happen again."

Derek nods to her in understanding, and then Nixie turns back to Scott. Throwing up her hands and then crossing them over her chest, she asks, "And seriously, what else are you going to do?"

He almost glares as he says, "I could ask the Argents for help. Maybe they can. They're a whole lot nicer than he is."

And Derek is about to argue, except he sees the look enter Nixie's face. The same one she'd given Chris when she'd accused the man of being an ass. Apparently, Scott wasn't above being given that look.

Although from the look on his face, Scott so rarely saw it that he was stunned to see it now. Nixie hops off the table and says, "Scott, I love you. But don't suggest that again. Mr. Argent is an ass. He has potential for maybe not being an ass someday, but currently he's still an ass. And his sister… I don't like her. I don't like her at all. I'm not even sure why. I just don't. And Alison… she's the sweet one, but she would have no idea how to handle any of this at this point."

Scott nods, and then sighs. Running his hands through his hair, he says, "Sorry… it's just…"

Derek speaks up then and says in what he hopes is a voice of parental understanding, "They're not nice, Scott. I can prove it, if you'll come with me." And as the two prepare to leave, Derek turns to Nixie and asks, "You coming?"

She raises an eyebrow at him, clearly surprised that he was willingly including her in at this point. But... well, she had just helped save his life. Shrugging, she says, "Sure. Why not? Stiles… we'll study tomorrow?"

Stiles, slumped against a wall in relief himself, nods and says tiredly, "Sure."

Nixie pats him on the shoulder and says, "Go home. Get some sleep. We'll figure more out tomorrow, like we always do."

"Amen to that."

* * *

The man in the wheel chair is severely burned, and Derek's story is terrible.

And when Scott suggests the Argents may have had a reason for burning a house full of people to the ground, Nixie slaps him in the head, to which he says, "Stop doing that!"

"Stop being an idiot and I might!"

Out of respect for Derek, she doesn't voice a particular opinion of her own until she and Scott are at their bikes at the clinic again and preparing to ride home. Only when Derek's gone… long gone… does she say, "I don't like him."

Blinking in confusion, Scott asks, "Who? Derek? But I thought..."

Nixie shakes her head, "No. Derek… I think he'll turn out to be alright. But the guy he showed us. Peter." Shaking her head again, she says, "I don't like him."

Nodding, Scott tilts his head, "Why? And… why should we worry about him? He's practically catatonic. We…"

Nixie just sighs, running a hand through her own hair. Shrugging helplessly, she says tiredly, "I don't know, Scott. I'm just… I'm just letting you know. Alright? I don't like him. I don't know why exactly, but I don't." Closing her eyes for a moment, taking a second to just breathe, she then adds, "I need sleep. Like… hours and hours of sleep. Thank God it's Friday."

Scott smiles gently at her, "As Stiles said earlier, amen to that. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Not until late though. I'm sleeping in. If I have to draw all the curtains and then paint the window panes black… I'm determined to sleep in."

Chuckling, Scott leans over to kiss the side of her head. Then he settles back onto his bike. "Alright. Goodnight, Nix. And thanks for everything today."

Smiling back, she responds, "Sure thing. And hey. About the head slapping stuff? You know I love you right?"

"I know, Nix. And I know the slapping is just to knock sense back into me. It's not like I'm not used to it. I think I'm just more used to it being Stiles that gets it rather than me."

Nixie laughs loudly at that, "Yeah. Alright then. See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

* * *

Chapter 4! Hope you're enjoying the story. Chapter 5 will follow shortly after this (hopefully).


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 5: Episode 1x5

Nixie actually ended up in the backseat of the cop car on this fine Saturday that she had spent studying with Stiles and Scott. Scott had left earlier than she had, because he was going to work on his paper with Alison first before bringing it to Nixie for inspection.

In any case, Noah had come home and was about to head out on patrol, when he finally caught Stiles in the act of listening in to one of his calls. So now, Noah felt the need to keep an eye on Stiles for the remainder of the evening. He'd listened in on his dad's 'important' calls one too many times.

But Nixie had already put off finishing this paper four different times now. She was not about to put it off again. So she told Noah the only way he was going to be able to keep Stiles under watch tonight was if she could come along too. Which he had no problem with. He did point out that she should maybe not try giving orders to the sheriff of Beacon Hills.

Her response was simply, "I only give the orders I know you'll listen to. This paper is important, and you know that. Therefore, it'd be stupid to not let me come. And you're not stupid, so…"

So now she was in the back, reading over Stiles paper and circling an entire paragraph that he'd put in that had no purpose in the paper at all.

Noah was asking for his curly fries. And Stiles finally said, "If you think getting rid of all the contractions from your sentences makes your argument more legitimate; you are wrong."

He grins for all of a second, victorious about keeping his dad from the curly fries. But then he pauses when Nixie says, "And yet you think keeping all the contractions out of your paper will somehow be the thing that gets you an A."

Noah grins while taking a bite of his burger, and Stiles turns back and says, "What? It just makes the sentence longer and the teacher said…" "The teacher said don't put useless information in the paper Stiles, which contractions have nothing to do with, so long as the sentence does actually pertain to the topic you're writing about. The entire last half of your last page however, is filled with useless information, and she will take off points if you turn that in."

Stiles huffs, but then moves so he can let Nixie out of the car so she can get to him and hand him his marked up copy of the paper back. After he's sitting down again, Nixie leans down so her head is level with the window, and she says, "Just… add some contractions here and there, maybe a clever little sentence or two… and you'll be fine. The teacher expects a little repetition at times and knows that students are going to try and stretch their sentences out when they can. But as long as none of it is totally useless, she doesn't mark off for that."

Nodding, Stiles sighs and asks, "What would I do without you?" "Get a C+ at best." He chuckles and then Nixie's phone rings so she steps back and answers, "Hello?" "Nixie!"

Tensing up instantly, she hears Stiles jerk around and scramble to stand with her when she asks, "Lydia? What's wrong?" "There's… there's…" She takes a breath, and then tells Nixie, "We were getting a movie… Jackson and me. And he went inside. And this… this… this giant thing just came flying out the window of the store. It broke the window on my car and it ran away. But Nixie… he's dead. He's…"

Nixie's eyes widen, because as much as she didn't like Jackson, she had never wished for him to die. Shoving Stiles back towards the cruiser, Nixie says, "Listen, do not leave. I'm coming to you. The Video 2 right?" "Yeah. But don't hang up!" "I'm not Lydia. Just keep talking to me."

She's about to turn and get on her bike, but Noah calls out, "Hey! Get in here!" "Noah, I'm…" "We're going to the same place. Pretty sure I'm faster than your bike. Let's go."

* * *

When they pull into the parking lot, Noah tells them to stay here. But Stiles is already opening his own door so he can open Nixie's again. And Noah would argue… except Nixie doesn't look at him or anything, like she normally would in expectation of something he would say. She just hangs up her phone and hurries towards the ambulance where Lydia…

And Jackson are sitting. Well… that wasn't what she'd expected.

Coming up to them, Nixie first looks at Lydia and asks, "Are you hurt?"

Lydia looks up from her phone. She'd been briefly confused about why the line had been disconnected between her and Nixie. And honestly, she thinks she would've freaked out again if Nixie had just hung up on her for no reason. Because for all Jackson's presence might mean, him standing right next to her, he wasn't actually doing anything to help her calm down.

That was all Nixie, who was now standing in front of her as promised, eyes scanning over all of Lydia to make sure she wasn't hurt. Even though Lydia had told her already that she'd been in the car and the thing hadn't even come near her.

Standing up and hurling herself into Nixie's arms, she breathes a long and slow sigh of relief against her neck. And even though she knows they're probably still not on the best of terms right now, Lydia feels all the better when Nixie's arms wrap around her in return, no ounce of hesitation, and with all the same comforting force that she'd always had in the past. It didn't matter that they were silently fighting and arguing. She was still Nixie's best friend.

Lydia could feel herself relaxing more by the second, and when she leaned back, she looked over at Jackson, who was yelling at Stiles' dad.

And she felt Nixie's arms tense in anger at Jackson, and Lydia honestly wouldn't have blamed her if she'd gone over and punched Jackson in the face.

Instead, Nixie took a long breath herself, and then went over and grabbed Jackson by the arm. He turned to her swiftly, about ready to scream at her too. But he froze upon seeing her face, and then instantly turned to Noah and said, "I mean… um… I guess… I just… I suppose they should check me for concussion. I mean… how long could it take, right?"

Nixie then drags him back to the ambulance and sits him down. And when she reaches out for him, he flinches at first, but then stops and stares at her in shock.

Lydia's mouth actually drops open and Nixie looks over Jackson now, the same way she'd done Lydia earlier. Scanning him for injuries. When she finds the back of his jeans torn, she asks, "What happened?" "Um… one of the shelves. It landed on me." She nods, and then asks, "And you hit your head?" "Uh… kind of. Well, a light fixture hit my head, and I fell on the ground after pretty hard."

Nixie then finds the back of his neck, and asks, "And what are these?" He touches the scratches and says, "Not sure. I mean… he must've done something to me. Maybe I passed out for a second and didn't realize it."

Nixie isn't sure she believes that last part, but who is she to argue. Finally having assessed him, she then says, "Speak to Stiles father like that again, and I will do a hell of a lot worse to you than this." Bending so he can see her eyes, she asks, "You understand me?" "Yeah… yes."

Then back to Lydia, she sighs and asks, "You said he was dead. What exactly did you mean since you weren't talking about Jackson?" Lydia's eyes widen, and then she says, "Oh… oh I was… the man changing the lights. He…"

The body gets wheeled out before she finishes, and as Lydia starts trembling again, Nixie wraps her up in a hug and says, "It's alright. You're safe. Jackson's fine. Everything is going to be okay."

When the body is finally out of sight, Lydia mumbles wearily against her, "I thought you hated Jackson."

"I do. But I don't hate you. And much as I don't like him… he's important to you."

* * *

"Is it your birthday?" Nixie cringes inwardly a little bit as Alison tries to hide the balloons pouring out from the inside of her locker. Coming up to Scott's side, Nixie says, "Definitely a sore topic."

Coming up to Alison's other side, Nixie pulls a pair of scissors from inside Alison's locker and stabs the balloons so they pop and flatten instantly. Alison sighs and says, "Thank you." "Sure. But why all the birthday hate?"

Alison looks between the two of them and says, "Because I didn't want anyone to know. Because I'm… well, I'm…"

Nixie shrugs and says, "You're seventeen."

Both Scott and Alison look at her in shock when she says that, to which she shrugs and says, "I found out a while ago. I asked your dad. By the way… here."

Nixie hands over a card from her bag and says, "Not much, but I did remember it." Then she looks at Scott and says, "And I would've told you… but I thought you'd already know." Then back to Alison, she says, "And I have no idea how Lydia found out, so don't ask me."

Scott's eyes are still wide though, and when Alison claims to be trying to avoid that reaction, Scott says, "What? Why? I mean, I totally get it. You had to repeat a year because of all the moving around, right?"

Alison pauses in her actions for a moment before looking at him with a soft expression. Then she kisses him, to which Scott grins and asks, "What's that for?" "For literally being the first person ever to make the correct assumption."

Nixie shrugs and says, "I figured that out too. Where's my kiss?" Alison laughs and then comes over and kisses Nixie on the cheek. To which Nixie says, "I was totally kidding. But thanks."

And then Scott suggests skipping the whole day of school so Alison can avoid the questions she's used to hearing on this day. Nixie raises an eyebrow, and then laughs when Alison asks, "Well, what happens if they catch you?"

Scott gives Nixie a look and then says to Alison, "Let's try not to think about that."

Alison grins, but then turns to Nixie and asks, "What about you? You coming?" Nixie looks to Scott for a moment, and then grins a little before turning back to Alison. Sighing, she says, "As grand as this sounds, and I do mean that sincerely… I can't. I have a presentation to give today and if I'm not there… well, then I have to do it later and without an excuse I get points taken off for having to give it late. So… I have to pass. But… you two have fun. And if anyone does ask me… I'll try to come up with an excuse. However, the odds that they'll ask me are slim, so don't count on it."

They both nod, and as Alison turns to leave, Scott looks to Nixie again and says, "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it Scott. Besides. I do actually have a presentation to give today."

Turning and walking away from them towards class, Nixie adds to herself, "Sure… it's only an extra credit assignment actually… but that's still a valid excuse for leaving them alone. Right? Right."

* * *

When Stiles suggests going over to Lydia's, Nixie agrees to come with him. He knows he's probably not getting in without her anyways. Lydia's mom is probably feeling quite protective right now, and without Nixie, he's just some student trying to get in to see her daughter.

But when Natalie opens the door and sees Nixie standing there too, she sighs and opens it fully and says, "Come on in. Who's this?" "This is Stiles. He's a friend of mine. Kind of partially a friend to your daughter… but she might not know that."

Natalie doesn't argue. She just takes them upstairs and shows them to Lydia's room. "Honey. There's a Stiles here to see you?" Lydia doesn't even really react. She just asks softly, "What's the hell is a Stiles?" Natalie turns back to them in apology and says, "She took a little something to ease her nerves. Honey… Nixie's here too."

Lydia does sit up at that, and upon turning to see them, climbs out of her bed carefully and walks up to Nixie. Hugging her around the waist, resting her head on Nixie's collar, she sighs and asks, "What are you doing here?"

Natalie leaves the room and closes the door. Nixie hugs Lydia back gently while Stiles says, "We were worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Leaning back and then moving close to Stiles, she says, "I feel fantastic."

Stiles blinks at her in surprise, and then as she moves back to the bed, Nixie says, "You should see her when she's actually drunk. She hits on everything that breathes if there isn't someone there to watch her."

Stiles nods, and then moves to sit next to her on the bed. Looking at the pills she took, he chuckles and says to Lydia, "I bet you can't say 'I saw Suzy sittin' in a shoeshine shop' ten times fast."

Lydia tries twice, and fails twice. Nixie rolls her eyes with a grin and says, "Be nice Stiles."

"I saw…"

They both look at Lydia when she says that in a quieter and more normal voice. Well, a scared voice, but not drunken anymore. Stiles leans forward and asks, "What did you see?" "Something." "Something like… like a mountain lion?" "A mountain lion."

Stiles huffs and asks, "Okay, are you sure you saw a mountain lion, or are you just saying that because that's what the police told you?" "A mountain lion."

Nixie glances over at a stuffed giraffe by her bedside and moves to grab it. Bringing it back, she asks, "Lydia… what's this?" "A mountain lion."

Back to Stiles, Nixie says, "Yeah. She's drunk." Stiles nods, and then has a minor freak out when Lydia flops down, her face and hand against his thigh. Nixie laughs at him and says, "God, you are obsessed." "I prefer to think of myself as dedicated."

Nixie nods to that, and Stiles smiles when she says, "That's better than most of the men in this town." "Thanks!"

Flopping down on the other side of Lydia's bed, she lays out and says, "Well… I'm gonna probably take a nap here, since we're definitely not getting anything sensical out of her right now. You?"

Stiles ponders, and then as Lydia moves off of him, he says, "Well… I guess I'll go. Try to talk to Scott maybe. Leave her and you to the post-traumatic stress ordeals."

And that's when Lydia sits up and says, "Stay."

Nixie raises an eyebrow at her, but Stiles immediately reenters the room and sits where Lydia pats on the bed. And then Lydia traces over Stiles face with her fingers. "Please… Jackson. Please stay."

Nixie rolls her eyes and Stiles huffs and says, "And we're done here."

He does pat Lydia's side affectionately though before making to leave again. Except Lydia's phone goes off, so he asks, "You want me to get that?"

Lydia can't respond anymore, so Stiles looks to Nixie, who shrugs and says, "At least figure out what it is."

So he grabs the phone and says, "Well… it's a text. I don't know how to…"

At the horrified look that enters Stiles face, Nixie sits up and asks, "What?" He looks up at her, and then scrambles over to her side and says, "Look!"

He plays the video on the phone back. Apparently Lydia had taken it accidentally. And what they see… is most definitely not just a wolf. Red eyes glare at the screen, and a mouth full of hideous and sharp teeth are what the video ends on.

And Lydia had been right in front of it. No wonder the girl had taken those pills.

Nixie moves back into the bed and takes one of Lydia's limp hands in hers. Stiles watches them for a moment, and then asks, "You still staying?" "Yeah. I'm staying. Call me though, if anything happens." "Alright. Let me know if you guys need anything too." "Will do. Oh… and Stiles…"

He turns back, and then nods when Nixie says, "Try to tell Scott, alright. But don't be too hard on him if his phone's off. He's with Alison." "Got it."

* * *

Later on, after Lydia wakes up and moves around a bit, she asks, "How long have I been asleep?"

Nixie stands up from the bed and says, "Roughly… three hours. Maybe four." "And you… what… you've been here the whole time?" "Well, yeah."

Lydia turns to her and asks, "Why? I mean… I was sleeping." "You fell asleep kind of spooked and terrified. Figured if you woke up that way… you shouldn't wake up that way alone."

For a moment there's silence, and then Lydia says, "Thanks." "No problem. Now what do you want to do?" Lydia looks at herself in the mirror, and then says, "I want to not look like a zombie for starters."

Nixie comes up behind her, wipes gently at her eye with a tear beneath it, and then says, "Well, then I think you should come over to your wardrobe. I've been told there are enough cosmetics here to perfect an entire army if need be." Lydia finally grins at that, and then says, "Right."

* * *

Noah sees Melissa standing in the hall of the school, looking heavenward as though hoping a miracle will fall from the sky. The parent-teacher conferences started a while ago, and Noah doesn't see Scott anywhere in the near vicinity. Probably not a good sign.

Coming up to her, he asks, "Scott?" Melissa looks to him, and then says, "He's an hour late. He said he would be here, and he's an hour late. What about you? Where's Stiles?" "I actually decided not to bring him. Wasn't sure all the sarcasm would be a very good thing to have in this conference? Besides, the coach picked at his name and Stiles tends to get touchy on the subject."

Melissa nods, and as they both turn to walk out, Mr. Harris steps back out and says, "I'm sorry, but I forgot I was also in charge of Nixie's file for a moment. Would you two care to step back in?" Noah and Melissa look at each other in confusion, and then Noah says, "Um… we're not Nixie's parents. We're not even married."

Mr. Harris looks between the two of them, and then sighs and says, "She never told you?" When both still look at him in confusion, he ushers them back into his room to sit down. Sighing again, he says, "Firstly, I do apologize. We told her that she was to inform both of you that you were listed." Melissa leans forward and asks, "Listed as what?"

He searches for a word for the moment, and then says, "Stand-in parents, shall we call it?" Noah frowns and asks, "Stand in? What does that…"

Mr. Harris sits down and says, "Nixie's mother, we have listed here, is a traveling saleswoman who only gets to make it home on holidays, some of the time. Her father died when she was very little in a car accident. According to the records, Nixie was maybe two and the only reason she survived is because her father was protecting her from the impact."

Melissa and Noah look at each other in shock. They'd known Nixie didn't have a father. They'd never known why. She never talked about it, and honestly… they assumed he'd somehow chosen to leave Nixie and her mother behind.

Obviously, that wasn't the case.

Mr. Harris then says, "But as her mother is not home very often, she made the owner of the apartment complex a designated guardian for Nixie, for situations such as this if needed. But when she was in elementary school, it was discovered that the owner rarely made it his business to care whether her grades were succeeding or not. And in fact, Nixie has a part-time, walk-in job at a diner. From what we learned from the staff there, she basically walks in on days she can work, and if they need her, they put her to work."

Noah and Melissa look at each other again, and then Melissa asks, "So… wait… why do we need to be listed?" Mr. Harris looks up from his file for a moment and says, "When it became apparent that Nixie didn't really have a parental figure present, she was brought into a guidance counselor and questioned. We needed to evaluate her state of mind and her home life. But… in spite of no parental figure living with her most of the time, Nixie was seen as a…"

He looks through the notes in her file and reads, "A happy child who claims that the family she's chosen is always there for her."

Looking at Noah and Melissa again, Mr. Harris says, "So… in light of that, and knowing she wasn't living in an abusive situation, the principal made a deal with her that if she could list two other adults that she felt could easily monitor her studies and well-being, if it became necessary, then she would be granted an excuse from the parent/teacher conference guidelines."

Gesturing to the two of them, he says, "She listed both of you."

Noah and Melissa look at each other one last time, and then Noah sits up and asks, "So… what's up with Nixie? Should we…" But Mr. Harris assures, "I only asked if you wanted to hear because I assumed you already knew you were her stand-in guardians for school purposes. I didn't realize she had never told you. But academically, Nixie is one of our brightest. Aside from another young woman… um… a Lydia Martin… Nixie is one of the smartest students we have. Bright and intelligent. I'd say the only downside to her… school-wise that is… would be the overprotective streak she exhibits."

Melissa tilts her head and asks, "Overprotective?" "Yes. Let's see… um… in middle school she was suspended for two days, as you are aware, for beating up the student who had harassed your son. Since then, we have received complaints about… let me see…"

He flips through some pages, and then says, "She… well, there's nothing really serious here. She's pinned Jackson against the lockers a few times. Something about… he needed to leave her boys alone, or he was going to regret it. Her words, not mine. And… well, other than that we just get complaints about her eyes."

Noah blinks and asks, "Her eyes?" "Yes. Most recently, there was an incident outside in the parking lot one day. Apparently a jeep broke down and it was blocking the traffic to leave. And everyone was honking at them to move the jeep. And then… apparently Nixie came around and glared at all of them."

Shrugging, he says, "Don't know why that worked so well. They all stopped honking and then she left them alone. But apparently they all felt very threatened by her eyes, and so they all complained about it. But… all that being said, it's not like she hit them or even really threatened them or anything, so she didn't get into trouble. But if you wanted to maybe talk to her about easing back a little… then that would be the only downside I see for her. Otherwise, she's a very well-rounded and intelligent student."

As they're leaving, Melissa asks Noah, "You had no idea right? About Nixie listing us…" "Not a clue." Sighing, she says, "I guess we should talk to her about that eventually. First though, I have to find my own kid… and ground him for… I don't even know how long." Noah smiles and says, "Come on. Generally he's a good kid. Like my own son. Maybe he's in the parking lot by now."

And of course… that's when all hell breaks loose.

* * *

"So… there was a mountain lion at the school?"

Scott explains the whole situation to Nixie when she asks the question, including the fact that he's probably pissed off Alison's dad and is probably grounded for eternity. "Don't stress about it Scott. At the very least, I can talk your mom into being a little gentler on you." "Thanks Nix. But hey… don't make her angry at you in the process. She already said she needs to talk to you about something serious eventually."

Nixie has no idea what that is off the top of her head. Shrugging, she says, "I'll be over there at some point eventually. We'll take care of it then. Did Stiles tell you about the video?" "Yeah. I have no idea what to make of that either. Was it really as big as Stiles keeps saying?"

Nixie glances over to where Lydia is sitting and says, "It was pretty big." "Great. Just fantastic. Look… I'll talk to Derek tomorrow. Maybe he has some insight." "Right. Until then… get some sleep Scott. And try not to go sleep walking." "Will do."

After hanging up, Nixie looks at Lydia one last time. The girl was fixing herself up, making herself feel more like normal. And it was good. It was working. Lydia was pushing all of that bad behind her from that previous night, and was moving forward.

But if she saw that video… Nixie knows this whole thing would have to start over again. And in all honesty, no one else needed to see it.

Which is why she took Lydia's phone… found the video… and deleted it.

It was for Lydia's good. It was for the better good of everyone.

At least, that's what she's going to tell herself anyway.

* * *

And here's chapter 5! I'm posting them pretty fast, if I say so myself. Of course, that's because I'm not proof reading these as many times as I did the other ones. Again, if you see any mistakes, or even think you see one, please let me know, and I'll get on that.

Hope you're enjoying the story. Chapter 6 will hopefully be ready to post soon. (Perhaps tonight, if I still can't fall asleep in the next few minutes). :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 6: Episode 1x6

"Scott! Just stop dragging me through the house and tell me what the hell is going on?"

He finally lets Nixie go when he gets into his room, but she watches baffled as he hurriedly locks the door and then rushes to slam the window shut. Huffing, Nixie says, "Scott… seriously. If he wants to get in, locking the doors and windows isn't really going to help. He broke through the rental movie store's windows, which are considerably thicker."

Scott still sighs in relief once it's done anyway, and moves to cut on the lamp by his bed.

And that's when they finally see Derek, sitting in the chair in what had been the darkest corner of the room. Seriously… it was like the man was born a shadow himself.

He glances at Nixie and says, "She's right, for starters." Scott makes an annoyed sound in his throat and says, "You seriously need to stop doing that!" Derek just stands up and says, "So what happened? Did he talk to you?"

Scott leans back and scoffs before saying, "Yeah. We had a nice conversation about the weather. No! He didn't talk to me!" "Well, then did you get anything off of him? An impression?" "What do you mean?"

Derek clenches his first and makes an aggravated face, to which Nixie immediately says, "Patience."

He glances at her, and as annoying as he still found the word… he knew she was right. She'd taken to saying it anytime she was around and he was trying to teach Scott.

He wasn't a great teacher. He'd known that. He'd never had to teach anyone how to be a werewolf before, much less someone who wasn't born a werewolf. Scott had been bitten.

He hadn't realized he was being considered a completely lousy teacher until Nixie found him again one day and called him out on it. She'd said, _"You have no patience with him. Half of the things you expect him to do… it's like you think he's supposed to already know that he can. And yes, I get that you were born a werewolf, and so when you were younger, you did know those things. But Scott has lived the first fifteen years of his life as a complete human. Even worse, he's lived his first fifteen years as a human with a severe asthmatic condition. He's used to not being able to do things. Like run fast, or even go long distances without needing an inhaler. He's not used to being strong, and he's certainly not prepared for all of the other werewolf nonsense you keep throwing at him."_

When he'd stared at her for a moment as though shocked, she'd sighed and said, _"Patience Derek. And I understand that it might not be your strongest suit. But if you want Scott to actually learn anything from you… then you need to exercise some of it. Because the harder you push at him like this… like he's already somehow failing… the sooner he's going to stop trying. And he can't stop trying. This is his life now, and he needs to learn, and you may just be his best shot at that. But you need patience. Patience Derek. Patience."_

And she hadn't stopped reminding him about it since. And while he was loath to admit it… she was right. Since he'd started trying to exercise some of it, Scott had been doing better. The previous night was evidence of that. Setting off the car alarms to distract from the sound of Scott's own beating heart had been a good idea. And it had worked up until Scott's phone went off to join the noise.

Derek looks at her briefly, letting her know he hadn't forgotten, and then he says to Scott, "Remember, your other senses are heightened now. Use them. Communication between our kind doesn't necessarily have to be spoken. And if he was in his wolf form… then it most certainly can't be spoken. But you can feel things from him. So… what kind of feeling did you get from him?"

Scott has to think for a second, reflecting back and trying to feel what he'd felt when it was happening. Then he says, "Anger."

Derek, briefly confused, asks, "Focused on you?" "No… no not me. But it was definitely anger, I could feel it now that I think about it. And especially when he drew the spiral."

Nixie is about to pull out her phone, when Derek asks in a harder tone of voice, "Wait, the what? What did you just say?" Scott looks briefly to Nixie, and then back to Derek he says, "He… he drew this spiral on the window of my car, in the condensation, you know?"

Derek is about to ask him to draw it, just to be sure he's understanding correctly, but Nixie comes over and says, "I got a picture."

He pulls on her wrist to bring it closer to his face, and Nixie narrows her eyes at him when his eyes get a distant look about them. Scott notices too and asks, "What is it?" Derek looks up and asks, "What do you mean?" Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "You have a look that says you know exactly what this is. So… what the hell is it?"

"No… it's nothing." But as he tries to leave, Nixie puts herself in his path and says, "No. No, you do not get to do that." Narrowing his own eyes down at her, he asks, "And why exactly?" "Because he's trying to trust you, and so am I. But you can't keep expecting us to, and then also keep things like this to yourself." "I told you, it doesn't mean…"

Scott speaks up though and says, "You buried your sister in a spiral."

Derek freezes for a second, and then Nixie softens her gaze slightly and says, "Derek… just tell us what it means. Please?"

He looks at her one final time, and then says to both of them, "You don't want to know. Not yet." Reaching forward and squeezing Nixie's shoulder, hoping she understands at least that he isn't to be questioned on this thing anymore right now, he then takes his leave of the room.

Scott sighs and crawls into bed. Glancing at Nixie, he asks, "You okay?" "Me? I'm fine. You're the one being stalked by a psychotic alpha that's on a mental break from reality."

Huffing herself, she turns to him and asks, "You feel alright now?" "Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright. Just need some sleep. And my mom still needs to talk to you." "I know. Maybe I'll get to that tomorrow. In any case… I'll see you around Scott. And remember. Do try to keep at least a little distance from Alison. Alright?" "I'll do my best. No promises though." "I wouldn't ask you for that. Goodnight." "Night."

While she's at home… Stiles calls her and says, "I'm still not talking to Scott." "Stiles…" "I'm not. He…" "Fine."

A pause, and then Stiles asks, "You aren't going to argue with me?" "Well, I tried that. And for the past four days… it still hasn't worked. So… I'm done arguing." Stiles finally sighs and says, "He can't just… he can't just ditch the world while all this bad shit is happening, and then expect me to forgive him easily. I… we needed him that day, and he couldn't be reached. And my dad got hurt!"

Nixie nods, and then says gently, "Your dad is fine though. As is everyone else. And I agree. He can't expect you to forgive him easily for ditching the world. But… it's been four days Stiles. And you have to forgive him sooner or later. Otherwise I'm gonna have to start choosing between you, which I refuse to do, which means I'm going to end up hanging out with Lydia more often, and I don't think I could handle all the shopping."

Stiles chuckles, and then asks, "So... what? What do I…" "Make him apologize. Sincerely. And eventually, forgive him. Sooner rather than later though, if you please. Your brilliant expertise could definitely be of help in the near future." "I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises." "Noted."

Sighing as she lays down in bed, she mutters at the ceiling, "No one's making promises anymore. The world must be ending. Or at the very least, going to hell in a handbasket."

* * *

Nixie is waiting outside their classroom the next day, wondering if she'll have to pick which one to walk with again, when they both come out at the same time and Stiles asks, "He wants you to tap into your animal side and get angry?" Scott nods, "Yeah."

Nixie grins at both of them and sighs before squeezing in between them. Putting an arm around each, she says, "My boys. Thank God your back. Do you know how hard it is to be the three musketeers without three people to have around?"

They both grin at her, and then Stiles says, "It's nice to have us back. Now… back to the latest crucial matter at hand… correct me if I'm wrong, but every time you get angry Scott, you try to kill someone, and that's usually me." Scott sighs and says, "I know. And that's what he means when he says he doesn't know if he can teach me."

Nixie pats him on the back and says, "Don't worry Scott. Derek just doesn't have enough patience or confidence in himself as a teacher. Not to fear though. I'm an excellent tutor." Stiles grins at her, and then asks Scott, "When are you seeing Derek again?"

Scott glances between both of them and says, "He's picking me up from the clinic after work." Stiles nods and says, "Alright. That gives us till the end of the day." "To what?" Nixie and Stiles grin at each other, and then Nixie says, "To teach you for ourselves. This is gonna be fun."

At lunch, Stiles and Nixie sit in front of Scott to avoid him having to make eye contact with Alison, who he is really trying to stay away from for the moment. At least until the full moon passes. Stiles jots down a few ideas. Nixie crosses off one of them, giving Stiles a look before turning back to Scott, who is still trying to use a textbook for cover from Alison.

Stiles finally huffs and says, "I think the book is making it more obvious. Besides, she's reading anyway." Nixie nods, and then Scott asks, "Got a plan yet?" Stiles nods and says, "We've got some ideas." Scott smiles and asks, "So… you don't hate me anymore?" Stiles gives him a look and says, "No. Totally still hate you. But your weirdness has infiltrated my life, so now I have to do something about it. And besides, I'm a way better Yoda than Derek." Nixie lifts her head and asks, "And what does that make me?" "Qui Gon Jin. Awesome Jedi master." "Doesn't he die in like… the first episode?" "Yeah. But he's still one of the greats."

Stiles then looks to Scott and grins while saying, "But your Yoda, I will be. See… I said it backwards…" Scott nods and says, "Yeah. I know." "Okay, you know what? I definitely still hate you."

And then, as Stiles snatches the textbook, Alison spots Scott and tries to chase him down. He takes cover in the boys bathroom, and Alison honestly looks content to wait there. Except Nixie slips her arm through Alison's and says, "He's just having a bit of a day. You know how Scott can be sometimes." "Yeah. Weird." Nixie nods, but then adds, "Of course, who really wants normal?"

Alison grins at that, and then asks, "See you later?" "Sure."

It then takes her ten extra minutes to get to the field where Scott and Stiles are waiting. Stiles turns and asks, "Where you been?" "Running Alison interference. Not necessarily hard, but it takes time." Scott smiles at her appreciatively, and then asks, "So… what's this?"

Nixie glances at what Stiles handed to Scott, and she says, "It's one of the heart rate monitors for the track team." Then glancing at Stiles, she asks, "How…" "I borrowed it." Raising an eyebrow at him, she asks, "Borrowed?" "Okay, so I borrowed without asking. Doesn't mean I'm not going to return it eventually."

Back to Scott, Stiles says, "You're going to wear it for the rest of the day. Coach uses this to monitor his own heart rate while he jogs, so…" He holds up coach's phone, to which Scott asks, "Isn't that coach's phone?" "Yes. And that I stole."

Nixie laughs, and then says, "Alright. Let's get to it." Scott looks between them and asks, "Wait, what are we doing exactly?" Nixie says, "Your heart rate goes up when you go wolf, right?" Scott nods, and Stiles says, "Which is when you play lacrosse, when you're with Alison, and whenever you get angry. So we think…"

Nixie nods when Stiles looks at her, and then she says to Scott, "We think part of learning to control the shift is learning to control your heart rate." Scott ponders that for a moment, and then grins and says, "Like the Incredible Hulk."

Blinking in surprise, Nixie grins too and says, "Yeah." Then she playfully smacks Stiles shoulder and says, "Why didn't you think of that, genius?" "Oh whatever. Just put the strap on and let's get to it."

And no, the tossing of balls at Scott while his hands are tied isn't what Nixie would call the greatest idea. But if his hands weren't tied, he'd probably just catch them.

In any case, Stiles tosses a few at him, but quite a few just miss Scott altogether. Nixie finally takes the racket from him and says, "Here. I got this."

When most of hers hit right on the money, Stiles asks, "Why'd you quit pitching for softball again?" "No more time. Needed to study." And she also didn't have enough money anymore to afford the equipment for playing. Nixie tosses another one, which takes Scott to the ground, and the phone in Stiles bag starts beeping erratically with Scott's pulse.

But he doesn't shift. He starts to… but he doesn't. When the heart monitor finally shows his pulse going down, Stiles and Nixie walk over and Nixie rubs a hand over Scott's hair and asks, "You alright?" "I'm okay."

Stiles nods in relief, and then says, "You started to change though." "Yeah. From anger. But… it was more than that. It's like… it's like the angrier I got the stronger I felt." Stiles nods again and says, "So it is anger then. Derek's right."

Scott thumps his head on the ground and says, "I can't be around Alison." And Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Just because she makes you happy?" "No… because she makes me weak."

"Oh, bullshit." Both boys look up at Nixie, who has stood up and away from Scott and crossed her arms. Scott blinks at her and asks, "What? It's…" "Alison doesn't make you weak. You know what does make you weak? Your lack of self-control. That's what we're dealing with here. And Alison has nothing to do with that."

Scott sighs and says, "But…" "No… no buts. At least, not to me. Stiles, take him to the locker room to clean up. I'll see you guys in class." Stiles nods, and then Nixie takes off back towards the school.

Inside, she finds Alison and Jackson sitting on the ground together at some lockers. Hiding herself behind a corner, she listens in on what they're saying.

Jackson says, "I realize that I've been a jerk to you. Especially to Scott. And I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." If Nixie weren't so determined to stay hidden, she would've burst out laughing. Jackson? Saying he's sorry? Oh… this day is filled with so much bullshit. First Scott and now Jackson. Nixie wonders what's going to happen next.

She then hears Jackson say, "I'm serious." Alison looks at him and says, "I believe you're being serious. I'm just now so sure you're being sincere."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie hears Jackson's voice again. "Do you know what it's like to be the best player on the team? Hmmm? To be the star? To have every single person at the game chanting your name? And then… and then some kid… just comes along, and then everyone starts looking at him instead of you. Do you know what that feels like?"

Nixie stays silent while Alison answers gently, "No, I don't." "Well… it feels like something's been… like something's been stolen from you. And then you start to feel like you'd do anything in the world to get it back."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie hears Alison say gently, "Haven't you ever learned there's no 'I' in 'team'?" And then Jackson says, in a harsher tone, "Yeah, but there is a me."

For a second, Nixie can practically feel the dread building up in Alison, but then Jackson chuckles and says, "That was a joke. Gosh, you must really, really hate me." "Not at all." "You sure? Because I'm not a bad guy. I mean, yeah, I make stupid mistakes, a lot, but… I'm not bad. I really like you. And Scott… I really like you both. And I want you guys to like me. I want to get to know you guys better. So… what are you…"

"Jackson." His head snaps up to look at Nixie, who as far as they're concerned, materialized out of thin air to be standing in front of them. Alison's curled up and protective posture instantly relaxes a little, and when Nixie extends a hand down, Alison takes it an allows herself to be pulled up off the floor.

Nixie bends down for her book and hands it to her, and then narrows her eyes at Jackson before saying, "Lying… Jackson… does make you a bad guy." "I didn't…" "You can't stand Scott anymore than I can stand you. Now beat it, before I actually follow through on my threat to break your nose. And we both know how much you love your perfect little face."

He scrambles up and away, and then Nixie sighs before turning to Alison and asking, "You good?" "Yeah. Do you always threaten him?" "He's always trying to do something mean to Scott or Stiles. So yes… I always threaten him. Well… usually."

Smiling at Alison, she then says, "Now come on. We're going to be late for this glorious thing called economics class."

Of course, inside the classroom, Alison manages to take the seat behind Scott. Where it's then revealed that she switched chemistry partners so she was with Scott. And it was sweet, it really was. Nixie sighs when Scott fumbles through answering her though. Seriously, the boy needed to learn to lie a little better. And it wasn't like he could really expect to avoid her in school all day anyway.

That's when coach calls on McCall to summarize last night's reading, which Nixie is already aware that Scott didn't do. "Uh… last night's reading coach?" Finstock gives Scott a look and then says, "No… how about the reading of the Gettysburg Address." "What?" "That was sarcasm McCall. Are you familiar with the term 'sarcasm'?"

Scott looks over beside him, where Nixie is sitting and Stiles is sitting behind her, and then says, "Very."

Nixie and Stiles grin, and then high-five each other behind Nixie's back.

But then coach starts calling Scott out, in front of the whole class. And Nixie knows exactly what the beeping behind her is. Stiles has the phone out, watching the heart rate monitor begin to rise as Scott becomes more and more agitated.

Nixie also hears it when it finally starts going down, and as she glances over, she sees that Alison has taken Scott's hand beneath their desks.

Alison didn't make him weak. Alison, somehow, gave him control.

But Coach is still going, and just because it's not getting on Scott's nerves, doesn't mean it's not getting on Nixie's.

"Coach…"

He glances over at her, and then says, "Ah… the savior is here. Yeah, we all know about you Miss Haven. But I'm a teacher… and I…" "Coach…" "I'm a teacher, and I…" "Coach."

When he finally looks at her eyes, he freezes altogether. Dark and heated and glaring, he hadn't really been able to tell how pissed she was just by her tone of voice. That she'd kept light and normal. But her eyes… well, if looks could kill.

She then says in the same even voice, "I'm sure you know the rules of student/teacher confidentiality. Don't you? About… how the teacher can discuss grades and academics of the student with parents… but not to the entire class or faculty. As it's not really anybody else's business what Scott's grades are… you have no right to blurt information like that out to the whole classroom."

Finstock looks about to comment, but Nixie then adds, "I'm sure you also know that if a strong enough complaint is filed, you can lose your job, your license to teach, and I'm sure any credibility you had for teaching anywhere else in this state."

Silence follows her statement, and then she smiles ever so slightly at Coach and asks, "You did know that, didn't you?" He says nothing in response to her, and after a moment more of deliberation, returns to the front of the room and finally calls on Greenberg to do the summary of last night's reading.

Nixie feels Stiles hands on her shoulders, squeezing as he whispers, "And she strikes again." Scott grins from beside her and reaches out for a high-five. Nixie slaps his hand, and then lowers her underneath Stiles desk behind her, where Stiles is ready and waiting to give her another high-five of his own.

Alison watches the entire interaction with amusement at that point, but doesn't stop staring at Nixie for a while, even as they all face forward to pay attention to class. Nixie had taken on a teacher. She'd taken on Finstock no less. And she'd won.

There was literally nothing the girl wouldn't do for 'her boys'. And since Nixie had already declared herself to be one of Alison's best friend, she supposes that makes her one of Nixie's girls. Which Alison smiles as she thinks, because she doesn't think she'd ever felt more honored to own a title like that in her life.

Afterwards, Stiles is talking about how Alison actually gives Scott control… and doesn't make him weak. "She's like an anchor." Scott nods and says, "Because I love her." "Yeah."

Then Scott freezes, and asks, "Did I just say that?" Nixie grins at him, and then says, "Finally figured that out, did you?" Patting him on the back, Nixie says, "Listen boys, I have another class to get to. And Stiles, I know you'll probably come up with another idea. But seriously, please don't do anything stupid until I get back." Stiles shrugs and says, "We'll work on that. No promises though."

Tossing up her hands, Nixie says, "And stop saying that. Seriously. It's beginning to freak me out."

* * *

Nixie sighs while standing outside of Mr. Harris' room. She'd told them not to do anything stupid, and what had they done. Gone and done something stupid. And Nixie wasn't about to leave school without knowing if Scott had learned anymore control or not.

Tilting her head more towards the detention room, she listens as Scott says, "You knew I would heal." Stiles answers, "Yep." "So, you did that to help me learn?" "Yep." "But also partially to punish me." "Yeah. Well, that one's obvious."

Nixie rolls her eyes, but can't help chuckling at Stiles. Then Scott says, "Dude, you're my best friend, and I can't have you being angry with me. Because you and Nixie… you're the only constants I have in all of this. So I can't…" Stiles sighs and says, "I'm not angry anymore. Look, you have something Scott. Okay? Whether you want it or not, you can do things that nobody else can do. So… like Nixie and her ability to scare the shit out of every asshole on the face of this planet, it means you don't have a choice anymore. It means you have to do something." "I know. And I will."

Then Nixie hears Mr. Harris say, "Alright. Both of you, out of here."

When they come out of the room, they both jerk when they both get slapped in the back of the head. Turning around, they both give Nixie a look, to which she then hugs them and says, "I'm glad you two are friends again. The slap was for doing something stupid when I told you not to." Stiles huffs and says, "I said no promises." "Whatever. Come on. Let's get out of here."

Scott nods, and then asks, "Actually, can you come with me? Just in case Dr. Deaton wants to fire me… maybe you can…" "He won't fire you Scott. But I'll come anyway."

* * *

"What are you doing? Stop!" Dr. Deaton turns to see Scott and Nixie when he hears Scott shouting at Derek. Ignoring Derek's warning growl, Deaton shouts, "Go! Get out of here!"

Derek drops the doctor on the ground in the chair he was taped and trapped in, and then punches him in the face. Then Derek finds himself punched in the face... hard.

Well, hard for her. Nixie had tried exceptionally harder this time, and now her hand felt like she'd busted every single joint she had. But she didn't let that show. Instead she asks, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Derek glares at her and says, "Look, conscious he can stop himself from healing, but not when he's out." "What?" Scott blinks and asks, "Are you crazy? What…" "You want to know what the spiral means Scott? It's our sign for a vendetta, for revenge. It means he won't stop killing until he's satisfied."

Nixie barks out a short laugh and asks, "And you think he's the alpha?" "I'm not sure yet, pain in the ass. We're about to find out."

Before she can do anything else, Nixie finds herself pushed back gently. And Scott takes her place, grabs Derek's wrist to stop him from hurting Deaton, and then shoves him back.

Nixie can't help but grin when Scott then eases himself back out of the shift. He had control. Maybe not completely yet, and maybe he still needed to practice. But in this moment… it was just proof that he could do it, that he had the ability to make it happen.

Scott then says to Derek, "Hit him again, and then you'll see me get angry."

Then he looks at Nixie, who launches at him and wraps him in a hug. Sighing against him, she says, "I'm so proud of you. First, take a moment to bask in that." Scott chuckles and hugs her back, sighing in relief. Then Nixie leans back and asks, "And now, tell me where the swabs are. I'll get them. You stay here and make sure Mr. Dark and Desperate over there doesn't do something else stupid."

Scott tells her where to go, and she finds them and brings them back to Scott. He cleans up Deaton as best he can, Derek now pacing on the other side of the room under Nixie's watchful eye. And at the very least, he had the sense to look a little sheepish every time he lifted his eyes to meet her hard gaze.

Finally though, he moves back to Scott, stopping when Nixie looks like she might try to get between them, and then asks, "Do you have a plan?" Scott sighs and says, "Just… meet me at the school in an hour. In the parking lot."

Derek leaves, confused and slightly unsatisfied, but he does leave. Nixie sighs, and then says, "I still don't think he's bad. But his temperament is something else. It's like… I can't really figure out what he's feeling." "Tell me about it."

Back to Scott, she asks, "So… what's at the school?" "I'm not sure yet. But I think if we want to catch this thing… we can't wait for him to come after me."

And Nixie gives him a surprised and worried look when he says, "I think I have to call for him."

* * *

Stiles hops out of the jeep as they park in the school parking lot and says, "This is a terrible idea." Nixie nods and says, "And I am in full agreement with that." Scott looks at both of them and says, "I know." Stiles flails his arms a bit and asks, "But we're still gonna do it?" "Can you think of something better?"

Stiles ponders for a moment, and then turns to Nixie hopefully. She just looks back at Scott though, and says, "Unfortunately no. If we had more time… maybe. But no. I've got nothing."

Huffing, Stiles says, "Well, how about we go with my fall back option. Because personally, I'm a fan of ignoring a problem until eventually it just goes away." Scott gives him a look and says, "Just make sure we can get inside. And for the record, that's probably why your dad has Nixie over at your house at least twice a week, to make sure you're doing your homework instead of just letting it sit there until no teacher cares anymore."

Stiles rolls his eyes, and then smiles when Nixie squeezes his shoulder and says, "I prefer to think it's just because you both love me so much and can't get enough of me." "You are an intoxicating presence." "I'm going to take that as a compliment." "Good."

Then Derek pulls up, and Stiles frowns and whispers to Nixie, "I still don't like him." "You don't have to. But Scott needs him. At least some of the time. And FYI, whispering doesn't help. He can still hear you."

When Derek climbs out of the car, Scott asks, "Where's my boss?" "He's in the back."

They all peer down to look at Deaton, and then Nixie stands up straight and asks, "Really Derek?" Stiles finally sees him too, mouth taped shut and still unconscious. Then he adds, "Well, he looks comfortable."

Nixie sighs and moves to at least remove the tape from his mouth. Then she returns to the boys, but says to Derek, "And I thought you were finally getting over the brutality stage. It's a shame. It really is."

Then they all turn to head to the school, until Derek shouts, "Hey! What are you doing?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "Why should we explain ourselves to you? You clearly don't see the need to explain yourself to us until it's convenient."

Derek rolls his eyes, and then looks to Scott, who says, "You said I was linked to the alpha. We're gonna see if you're right."

Once inside the school, Nixie picks the lock to the door of the main principal's office. When it only takes her about fifteen seconds, Stiles smirks at her and asks, "You been practicing?" "Yeah. On your front door." "I thought you had a key." "I was kidding Stiles. I've been practicing on Scott's front door."

Scott shrugs at that, and then says, "I'll get you a key." "No need. I enjoy the challenge." Grinning at her, he then leads the way inside to find the speaker system board and the mike. Stiles sighs as he sets it up and asks, "Okay, one question. What are we gonna do if the Alpha doesn't show up?" Scott sighs and says, "I don't know."

Nixie shrugs and says, "Go home and sleep peacefully for what's left of the night? Seems like as good an option as any." Stiles chuckles, and then asks, "And what are we gonna do if he does show up?" Scott sighs and again says, "I don't know." "Good plan Scott. Good plan."

Nixie glances around quickly, and then grabs a metal cane from the corner of the room. Twirling it in her hands, she shrugs at both of them and says, "I'm always a fan of kicking the bad guy's ass. That's just my opinion." Stiles gives her a look and asks, "You do realize we're dealing with a monstrous werewolf, right?" "Yeah. Like I said. I enjoy a challenge."

Scott laughs a little, some of tension leaving his body. Then he turns to Stiles and says, "Alright. You said once that a wolf howls to signal his position to the rest of the pack, right?" Stiles nods and says, "Right. But if you actually manage to bring him here, does that make you part of his pack?" "I hope not." "Yeah, me too."

Nixie puts an arm around Scott's shoulders and says, "He can't have you. Plain and simple. Because he doesn't want me… and he doesn't get you without me. Problem solved."

Scott grins at her again, and then takes the mike from Stiles and hits the com button so he'll be heard over the whole school.

What comes out though… honestly sounds more like a cat dying in Nixie's opinion. She likes Stiles description better though. Because when Scott asks what it sounded like to them, Stiles huffs and says, "Like a cat being choked to death Scott."

Running his hands through his hair, Scott asks desperately, "Well, what do I do? How am I supposed to do this?"

Nixie hands squeeze his shoulders from behind, and she says gently, "Take a breath."

He listens and does what she says. She squeezes again and says, "Alright, now just listen to me. You're calling the alpha. Alright? You're calling out to the man who bit you… who effectively flipped your world upside down and changed the way you're going to have to live for the rest of your life. He took away what was your life, and forced this one on you. You're calling out to that alpha."

Squeezing one more time, she says, "So do it like man. Be a werewolf Scott. Not a teen wolf." Stiles nods and smiles while saying, "Be a werewolf Scott. Do it."

And this time… the sound that comes out shakes the entire school. Nixie and Stiles can both feel it, and as Nixie moves closer to Scott, she can see the yellow coating his eyes.

Yep. He was a werewolf.

Smiling when he's done, Nixie pats him on the back and says, "Great. Now… let's go see how pissed off Derek is." Stiles asks, "Isn't he always pissed off?" "Yes. But this time it'll be our fault. Go us!"

And when they do get back outside, Derek points to all three and says, "I'm going to kill all of you." Nixie grins and says to Stiles, "Told ya."

Stiles just goes about putting the flashlight away while Derek asks, "What the hell was that? What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?"

Scott knows he should probably stop grinning, but he can't as he answers, "Sorry. I didn't know it would be that loud." Nixie nods and smirks while saying, "Yeah, it was loud." And Stiles, back beside her again, says, "And it was awesome!"

He and Nixie high-five behind her shoulder, and Derek looks at them both as though he's never seen two more annoying people in his life. Then he freezes and says, "Shut up."

Stiles huffs and says, "Don't be such a sour-wolf."

But Nixie holds up a hand to his chest, and Stiles goes silent. Nixie watches Derek, his head now turning to both sides, as though listening for something.

And then Scott leans forward and asks, "What'd you do with him?" Derek frowns and asks, "What?"

They all look at his car, only to find that Deaton is no longer in the backseat. Nixie frowns, not understanding that. She's not sure why she's so positive… but she knows Deaton wouldn't be the alpha. Hell… the man had been in this town for a long time. If he were going to turn teenagers to werewolves, he would've started long ago. And as far as her research had shown, nothing in his life had changed drastically recently, so he had no reason to suddenly start now.

So where the hell was he?

And who the hell was stabbing Derek in the back, making blood pour out of his mouth?

Nixie's mouth falls open as she sees him, and then she falls down as Stiles tries to grab her and drag her with them back to the school. Derek somehow manages to look down at her, and he mutters, "Run."

She doesn't want to listen. Derek is bleeding and probably paralyzed and if she leaves him with the alpha… well, he'll most likely die. But he also manages to give her a hard look as he says again, "Run!"

So she runs. She catches up to the boys and slides inside the doors right before they close them.

Helping them hold them shut, she says, "Shit. I think we just got Derek killed." Stiles whimpers a little and says, "Damn it. We need something to bar the door." Scott asks, "Like what?" "Well, I had the bolt cutters. Where…"

Both boys lift their heads slowly to glance out the windows on the doors, and then Stiles says in terror, "They're outside!"

Nixie pulls harder on the doors to try and keep them shut. This is not how she'd wanted the night to go down. And this is most certainly not how she intended to die. And of all the things Stiles could've dropped… he dropped the bolt cutters.

Shit. The world really was going to hell in a handbasket.

* * *

Chapter 6! Woohoo! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 7: Episode 1x7

As Stiles makes to go outside to grab the bolt cutters, Nixie pushes firmly against his chest and says, "Uh, no! Not on your life!" "If we can't keep him out we're dead anyway Nix!"

She groans in her frustration, and then shoves him aside and says, "Stay here and shut it right after me." "What? Nix!" She exits before he can try to stop her like she'd stopped him. Creeping down, trying to keep a lookout at the same time, Nixie has the cutters in her grasp just as both Scott and Stiles start banging on the door. She hears Scott shouting, "Come back! Nix! Come back!"

And when she lifts her head, the giant ass wolf is glaring at her with its red eyes, and is beginning it's charge towards her.

Sprinting back to the door, sliding in as Stiles cracks it open, she hears him slam it shut immediately behind her. She spins and slams the bolt cutter handles through either push bar on the door, and then waits.

She'd honestly been expecting the wolf to bang on the doors or try to rip them off the hinges. They'd all been waiting for that. But nothing happens. Leaning back to look out the narrow windows again, Nixie asks, "Where is he?" Stiles shines his flashlight outside, but sees nothing. The alpha wasn't there.

But he most certainly wasn't gone. The night had just begun a few hours ago. They were cornered. And the alpha knew it. No… he was definitely still here somewhere.

As they step back from the door, Scott asks, "That won't hold, will it?" Stiles sighs and says, "Probably not." Nixie nods and says, "I'm just gonna go ahead and say no."

Then they turn to look down the hall, and Nixie says, "On the plus side… we have the entire school to try and hide in. Let's go." And as a menacing howl echoes though the night, they sprint down the hall to try and find a classroom.

Stiles and Scott try to push a teacher's desk to the door, but Nixie says, "Don't really think it's gonna make a difference guys." Stiles huffs, but then looks to Scott and says, "It's your boss." "What?" "It's Deaton. The alpha? Your boss!" "No." "Yes! Murdering psycho werewolf!" "He can't be…" "Oh come on Scott. He disappears and that thing shows up ten seconds later? To toss Derek twenty feet through the air no less? That's not convenient timing?"

Scott says firmly, "It's not him." Stiles huffs and says, "He killed Derek." "No! Derek's not dead. He can't be dead." "Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay? That doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury." "Okay… just… what do we do?"

Nixie stares at both of them, and then whispers, "For starters, we stop wasting time having this senseless little heart to heart!" Both of them look at her, and then she says, "Secondly, we get out of here, get to Stiles jeep, and then get home." To Scott, she says, "I agree with you, alright. I don't think it's Deaton. But for Stiles' sake, let's just go ahead and say that when we survive this, you seriously think about quitting your job? Okay?" "Fine."

Scott turns to the windows, but Stiles says, "Much as I love that plan, we can't use the windows. They don't open. The school's climate controlled." Scott looks at him and says, "Then… we break it?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "Too much noise." Scott looks back outside and says, "Then we run really fast. Really, really fast."

Nixie notices him narrow his eyes though, and then he asks, "Stiles, what's wrong with the hood of your jeep?" "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." "It's bent." "What, you mean dented?" Nixie looks out the window too, and then says, "No… he definitely means bent."

Stiles comes up to her side, and asks, "Well, what the…"

And then the glass over their heads shatters, and Nixie drags both boys down to the ground. The thump behind her calls her attention, and as she stares at the black box in the classroom now, she ponders for a moment what the hell it is.

Then her eyes widen, and before she can speak, Stiles says, "That's my battery."

Nixie stares at it a second longer, and then mutters, "Son of a bitch!"

* * *

When they finally make it to the locker room later, having decided it was the best place to go because it had the least amount of windows, Nixie sits down and sighs and asks, "Anybody got glass stuck anywhere?' Stiles shakes his head and asks, "Why? Do you?" "No. But it keeps falling out of my hair, so I'm just checking."

He moves closer and brushes what he can see off her head and out of her ponytail. Sighing, he says, "You didn't have to cover both of us you know. It's not like a huge piece was falling towards us or anything." "Yeah, well, I didn't know that." "And furthermore, if there had been, what were you gonna do? Just let it stab you instead. And then me and Scott would be left all alone and we'd both be killed by this damn thing because we wouldn't be able to think properly because we'd be grieving you."

Nixie gives him a look, but then smirks a little and says, "I'm touched." "Yeah, you should be."

Scott joins them after a second, brushing come glass off of Nixie's shoulder. Then he looks to Stiles and says, "Call your dad." "And tell him what exactly?" "Anything! Gas leak, fire… anything. If that thing sees the parking lot filled with cop cars, it'll take off." "And what if it doesn't?"

Scott gives him a look and says, "They have guns." "And Derek had to be shot with a wolfsbane laced bullet to even slow him down, you remember that?" "Stiles… it'll leave. It can't just…" "It could just kill all of the cops that show up…" "It…"

Nixie puts a hand to Scott's chest to stop him from arguing, and then says, "What if it doesn't leave and tries to go completely ballistic and kill every single cop that comes, including Noah?'

Scott takes moment to ponder that, and then sighs and asks, "Alright, what if we get out and make a run for it?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "Nothing near the school for at least a mile. And that's take at least eight minutes to get to. Five maybe if we sprint the whole thing, but I'd say ten at best."

When Stiles raises an eyebrow, wondering how she knows that, she shrugs and says, "What? I've done it before okay."

Scott sighs again, and then looks at them both and asks, "What about Derek's car?" Stiles ponders, and then asks, "That could work. We get the keys off his body… ugh… and then take it out of here."

Nixie gives Stiles a pointed look, and when Stiles looks to Scott in confusion, Scott says, "And we take Derek." "Oh, fine, whatever."

But as they're heading for the door, Scott grabs both their arms and says, "Stop." Stiles asks, "What?" "I think I heard something." "Like what?!" "Shh, be quiet."

Nixie tries to listen, and finally hears something coming closer to the locker room. Backing up, she follows Stiles lead and takes cover in one of the lockers.

Of course, when it turns out to only be the janitor on night shift… she sighs in relief. Scott and Stiles both fall out of their lockers and scare the poor man half to death.

When she finally comes out, gently and quieter than them, the man points to her and asks, "Like that? Why couldn't you come out like that? Still creepy, but at least it doesn't potentially give me a heart attack!"

Then he shoves them all to get out, and when Nixie and Stiles try to talk to him… he just keeps shoving them out the door.

And the second he slams it in their faces, he ends up slammed against the door, blood also staining the glass as the alpha tears him apart.

Damn it! What the hell were they going to do now?!

* * *

When they slam into the double doors to try and get back outside, Nixie actually falls back on the ground from how fast she'd been running towards it. Stiles bends down to check on her while asking, "Scott, what is it?"

Scott sticks his head out, and then says, "A dumpster."

Stiles pauses, and then finishes pulling Nixie off the floor and says, "He pushed it in front of the door to lock us in." Nixie nods, rubbing her now sore and probably bruised left arm. And then she says, "Well, I'd say it worked quite effectively."

As they head out to try and find another door, Stiles asks desperately, "What does it even want?" Scott looks at him and says, "Me. Remember? Derek said it's stronger with a pack." "Oh great. A psychotic werewolf who's into teamwork." Nixie nods and says, "As if we didn't have enough to worry about with him just being psychotic." "Exactly!"

Nixie bumps into Scott when he stops walking, and as she starts to ask what it is, he grabs her good arm and asks, "You see him too right?"

She follows his gaze to the roof of the other side of the school, seen through the windows in the hall they're currently walking down. And yeah… there's no mistaking that. That big, giant ass, alpha is out there, glaring at them with is bright red eyes. Glaring right back at him this time though, as he starts to pounce and leap towards them, Nixie grabs both boys and says, "Run! And Stiles, for the love of God, turn off the damn flashlight!"

Nixie's not sure how long they run, and for a while isn't even sure where they end up going. But Scott manages to find a path leading into a lower level of the school, with even less windows, and more shadows to hide in. Sighing as they round another corner, they all pause to catch their breath, Nixie peering down both directions of the hall they're currently in, trying to decide what they're next course of action should be.

"Alright, we have to do something." Nixie looks over at Stiles as they come to a stop at yet another door in this dark sublevel. Raising an eyebrow, she says breathlessly, "Really? And all this time… I thought we already were trying to do that. Tell me, oh brilliant one, what exactly should we be doing differently?"

He gives her an exaxperated look and says, "I don't know. Kill it, hurt it… inflict mental anguish on it… something. And the sarcasm isn't appreciated." "You're just saying that because you think we're about to die." "And you don't think we are?" "Well, Scott isn't. You and me are up for debate though."

Then Stiles spots the room that only has one entrance. Taking his car keys, useless at this point really, he tosses them inside the room, and then hurriedly pulls Nixie and Scott back with him as the alpha roars from nearby and then takes off after the keys.

Stiles slams the door shut behind it and says, "The desk guys! The desk!"

Nixie and Scott shove the spare desk in front of the door, and just in time too. No sooner had they let go then the alpha tried to burst through the door again, slamming the desk against the metal filing cabinet on the other side of it. But the door still stays shut, and the desk holds it in place. Sighing, Nixie asks, "Did… did that really just work?"

Stiles grins at her, and then tells Scott to hurry up and get across the desk.

And then Stiles… being Stiles, climbed on the desk to get a look at it. "Yeah, that's right. We got you…" Nixie punches him in the arm while Scott says, "Will you shut up?" "No… I'm not scared of this thing."

Which is quickly disproven as he nearly falls on the cement floor when the wolf bangs against the door again. Nixie rolls her eyes at him and says, "I personally find him terrifying. And anyone with a brain would too." Stiles gives her a look and then says, "Well, I'm don't. Because he's in there, and we're out here. And he's not going…"

Which is when the wolf breaks through the ceiling and starts crawling around above them. Nixie glares slightly at Stiles and says, "You just had to go and taunt him didn't you. Run!"

They've barely made it down into another sublevel, feeling more secure, when Scott suddenly asks, "Wait. Do you hear that?" Nixie listens around, but even though she has some seriously good hearing, all she can hear is the steam coming from the pipes. Shaking her head, she says, "Must be something only you hear this time Scott. What is it?" "It sounds like a phone ringing."

Stiles rolls his eyes, and then Nixie suggests, "Maybe the janitor had a phone and the werewolf didn't destroy it." "No… I know that tone. It's Alison's phone." Nixie freezes, and then asks, "What? What the hell is she doing here?!"

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

As Scott repeats Nixie's earlier question to Alison when they find her, she tries to explain the text she'd gotten to meet him here. Nixie snatches the phone to read it, and then curses under her breath and says, "This is really beginning to piss me off."

Stiles looks at her and asks, "It wasn't already?" "It was. I'm just now becoming exceptionally pissed." "Ah. Of course."

Alison looks between the two, and would almost smile if not for the tense and almost pinched look in Nixie's face. Sarcastic as they were still being… Nixie was serious. Something bad was happening tonight, and whatever it was had her more ticked off than anyone had ever seen her before. Even Scott and Stiles.

And then Lydia and Jackson walk into the room, and Nixie throws her hands up and asks, "What the hell? Did he invite a whole party? I mean… shit…"

Back to Stiles, ignoring Lydia's confused gaze, Nixie says, "You might need to send a text to your dad to let him know who's here so he can know what names to put on the gravestone over our mass burial." Stiles raises an eyebrow, but doesn't get to comment. That's when they hear the thumping from the ceiling above them.

Scott and Alison take each other's hands. And Nixie knows that if he has too, Scott will drag Alison out of harm's way and into safety.

Which meant she only had to worry about Jackson and Lydia. Stiles was her concern as well, obviously. But of the additional people she now had to focus on keeping alive, she only had to concentrate on Lydia and Jackson. Mostly Lydia. She'd take care of Jackson… but he came in last compared to the rest.

So when it came time to run, Nixie grabbed Lydia's arm to get her attention. And when Lydia looked down at her, Nixie's eyes still trained up towards the ceiling, Nixie said, "Lydia. In front of me. Now."

Jackson, for the second time in his life, sees just how much trust Lydia has put into this girl. As much as Lydia and he hung out and as much as Nixie didn't like him… he had never fully understood why Lydia and her were still such good friends.

But now, in this moment, there was no hesitation on Lydia's part. When Nixie said to move, Lydia moved. When Nixie said to run, Lydia ran as fast as she could. And when Nixie told her that Jackson was also fine and to just keep going, Lydia didn't turn back to glance and see if it was true. She kept running.

And Jackson was fine, because Nixie shoved him in front of her too and was taking up the rear. So if… whatever this thing was… if it got to anyone first, it was going to be her.

When they burst through the double doors and into the next classroom, Scott bolts it shut, and then everyone begins trying to pile things in front of it. Nixie steps back with Stiles though, trying to get their attention, but to no avail.

Finally, she puts her fingers in her mouth and lets out a high-pitched whistle. Scott cringes a little with the frequency of it and the fact that she was so close to him when it happened. But it got everyone's attention, and then Stiles finally said, "Okay, nice work everyone. Really beautiful job. Now, can someone tell me what we're supposed to do about the twenty-foot wall of windows?"

Scott huffs and lowers his head, running hands through his hair in frustration. And as Alison starts talking to Scott, Nixie moves over to Lydia. Grabbing her shaking hands, rubbing them over to warm them with her own cold ones, Nixie says, "You're okay." "But not for long. That… that thing… what was that thing?" "No idea. But you're okay right now. Focus on that."

Nixie then glances at Jackson, looking him over once before asking, "You hurt?" He blinks, but then answers, "N… No. No… I'm okay." "Good." Back to Lydia, Nixie says, "I've got you. Okay?" Lydia nods, but then asks, "Are… are you sure?" Nixie gives her a stern look before smiling gently and saying, "Have I ever not had you?" "No. You always have." "Then believe it now, like you always believed it then." "Okay."

Then Nixie turns back to Scott and Alison, and freezes for a moment when she hears Scott say, "It's Derek. It's Derek Hale. It's been him the whole time."

And Nixie would argue on Derek's behalf. She really would. Because this was most certainly not Derek, who was either still paralyzed, or quite possibly very dead at this moment.

But to argue would just frighten everyone even more. Jackson already looked about to explode, either with fear or anger, Nixie's not sure which. Lydia is shaking again, but still nodding to herself, and Nixie knows she's remembering that Nixie will keep her safe. And Alison… she looks like she's unsure about this whole thing right now.

Jackson finally just turns to Stiles and says, "Call the cops." "No." Eyes narrowing, Jackson asks, "What do you mean no?" Stiles gives him a look and says, "I mean no. You want to hear it in Spanish? No!"

When even Lydia looks like she might argue, Stiles says, "Look, Derek killed three people, okay? We don't know what he's armed with." Jackson gets in his face and says, "Your dad is armed with an entire sheriff's department. Call him!" Lydia makes to pull out her phone, but pauses when Nixie puts her hand over it.

Shaking her head at Lydia, she then turns to Jackson and says, "Back off." He turns to her and says, "Look, I know he's one of your 'boys' and all, but if he doesn't…"

He shuts up when she grips his shirt front and drags him in front of her. Glaring eyes meet his now, and she says, "I am not above kicking you ass here and now, with Derek trying to kill us, if I have to. Back. Off."

Letting him go, she then looks sheepishly to Stiles and Scott and says, "Besides, I already tried." Stiles spins to her and asks, "You what?" "I already tried. I didn't call your dad. I got the front-desk person. I was going to request Virgil or someone else."

Sighing, taking Lydia's hands again, Nixie says, "Someone tipped them that there were going to be prank calls about the high school tonight. They're not taking those seriously. Said they'd trace it and have me arrested if I called again."

Alison perks up and says, "Okay, so call again." But Stiles already knows why Nixie didn't. Sighing, he says, "No, they won't actually trace a cell. And they'll send someone to your house before they'd send anyone here."

Then Alison and Scott start yelling at each other, about why Derek is trying to kill them, or anyone else. Stiles and Scott both then ease over to the side while Nixie stays with Lydia. She still listens though as Stiles says, "Okay, first off, throwing Derek under the bus? Nicely done." Nixie ponders going over to tell him that it was definitely not 'nicely done'. But then she notes that Stiles said it with sarcasm.

Then she also notes that it took her longer than normal to realize Stiles was being sarcastic. Damn, she was stressed.

Alison comes over to Lydia and Nixie too, and then says in a teary sort of voice, "He… he yelled at me." Nixie glances up at her, and then sighs and says, "We've been here a while. It hasn't been easy. Give him a break."

Lydia looks up at her and says, "But you've been here too. And you…" "I have the patience of a nun when it's called for. And it just so happens to be called for in this case. Scott and Stiles have considerably less patience than I do. Hence me still being over here while they're over there. Seriously, how do you think I manage to put up with them all the time if I didn't have this much patience?"

But, as she says that, it also becomes apparent that Jackson isn't here anymore. Instead he's yelling at Stiles, saying, "Okay assheads. New plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?"

And then Scott says, "He's right. Just call him… tell him the truth if you have too, but call him." "I'm not watching my dad get eaten alive." Jackson practically growls at them himself, and then says, "Alright, give me the phone. Give me the damn phone!"

He punches Stiles in the face, trying to get the phone away from him. And that… was the biggest mistake he could've made right then.

Lydia felt more than saw Nixie move away from her. The warmth that had been returning to her hands vanished as Nixie did, and when Lydia looked up, she gasped.

Nixie snagged Jackson by the collar and yanked him back so hard that he nearly choked. And if that weren't enough… she then lifted her leg and kicked him hard, straight in the chest, knocking him back across the room and into the wall of cabinets behind him.

Glaring down at him where he fell, Nixie says, "I said back off." Then she lifts her eyes to Lydia and Alison, both of whom are looking at her with wide eyes. Softening her gaze, but not dropping her defensive position, she turns to Stiles and helps him up off the floor.

Handing him back his phone, she whispers, "Count to five and then dial him."

He looks at her in confusion, but nods and does as she said. And in the meantime… she dials Noah first.

She can hear his voice on her phone, answering her call and wondering why she wasn't there, and then finally coming to the conclusion that maybe she'd butt dialed him or something. And as Stiles calls his dad, he's sent straight to voicemail. So now at least, it looks like Stiles tried.

Then the alpha starts banging on the doors they'd just barricaded, and Stiles suggests, "The kitchen. The kitchen leads to a stairwell." Alison says, "That only goes up." Nixie shrugs and says, "Anywhere is better than here. Lydia… in front of me. Go now."

When they finally get up a level, all of them try different classrooms, but they're all locked. Finally, Nixie sighs and turns to the chem lab. "Lydia."

Lydia runs over, and Nixie holds out a hand and says, "Bobby pin."

They all watch as Lydia pulls one from her hair and hands it over, and then Nixie gets down to one knee so she's eye level with the lock.

Ten seconds later, they all rush inside and Scott puts a chair in front of the door to hopefully keep it pinned shut.

Alison, now beside Nixie, asks, "You pick locks?" "I'm a regular Houdini." And in spite of everything, Alison grins and Nixie grins back. Then they all go dead silent as footsteps make their way past the room.

Scott looks to Jackson and asks, "How many people can fit in your car?" "Five if someone squeezes on someone's lap. Six if someone doesn't mind getting in the trunk." Nixie raises a hand and says, "Done." But Stiles sighs and says, "It doesn't matter. We're not getting out without drawing attention."

That's when Scott suggests the door to the roof. Stiles looks to Nixie and says, "It's a deadbolt though. You're gonna need more than a bobby pin." Nixie nods and says, "Any ideas where the key is?" Scott nods and says, "The janitor. He has one."

Stiles raises an eyebrow and says, "You mean his body has one." "I can get it. I can find him by scent." "Well, gee, that sounds like an incredibly terrible idea! What else you got?"

When neither can think of anything, Scott says, "I'm getting the key."

But Alison argues, "You can't go out there unarmed!"

And Scott grabs the flimsy pointer from the chalkboard. Nixie gives him a thumbs up and says, "Good job Scott. Because that's intimidating as hell." "It's better than nothing!"

Alison shakes her head and says, "There has to be something."

"There is."

All heads turn to Lydia when she says that, and then she gestures to the glass covered chemical cabinet. "Inside of there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail." Stiles blinks and asks, "Self-igniting…" "Molotov cocktail. Like a fire bomb."

Nixie grins and Lydia feels a bit of pride in that look before then glancing at Jackson. Quickly playing dumb, she asks, "What? I read it somewhere."

And Nixie rolls her eyes, but then gives Stiles a look when he says, "We don't have a key to that either. And Nixie… you need to…"

Nixie moves closer and smashes in the glass on the door. Pulling her arm back out, she turns to Lydia and asks, "What do you need?" Lydia rattles off everything, and Nixie pulls it out and hands it to Stiles to put on the table.

Jackson looks between the two of them like their aliens as Lydia starts pouring chemicals while Nixie moves to look at the deadbolt to see if she can guess what she might need to still pick it. His girlfriend and Nixie were moving around as though they were performing a covert operation, and had done so several times before. It was like they were trained for it. And he… well, he was poorly misinformed, and simply lucky to be on the same team as them.

Once the cocktail is made, Scott prepares to leave, knowing that the longer he waits, the more time he gives the alpha to find them again. Currently being in the chem lab, where all the chemicals were, was helping them hide. But that wouldn't last forever.

And that's when Alison tells him that she knows he's been lying all night. "Please… just please don't go Scott. Please."

But Scott turns to Nixie and says, "Lock it behind me."

Alison jerks Scott back around to kiss him, and then finally lets him go. Nixie locks the door, and then says, "Lydia… I'm gonna need more bobby pins. Alison… see if you can't find a very thin and very sharp knife or needle. I'm still gonna try and pick this thing."

* * *

Nixie's gone through five of Lydia's bobby pins trying to pick this thing. And she considers herself lucky that Lydia's purse is filled with them, otherwise they'd be in poor shape. Nixie only had two of her own, both of which were already bent out of shape and useless. And if they did run out of Lydia's… Nixie is sure Alison will have some they can use.

Of course… they probably won't make it to that point. They'd be dead before she got through half of Lydia's bobby pins. And Alison had managed to find a sharp needle and a very fine and thin knife. She also had a fingernail file and an artist cutting tool at her disposal. But nothing was working. Nixie wasn't used to deadbolts. Doorknobs and jams were easy. Deadbolts were a different story.

She notes to herself, if they make it out of here alive, to practice more with deadbolts.

Sighing, flexing her now cramping fingers, she rises to her feet and shakes her hand out to try and regain feeling in all of her fingers. That's when Lydia returns to her side. Taking Nixie's hand in hers, she gently begins massaging her knuckles and each finger. And Nixie winces at first, until it finally starts feeling better.

Alison then says, "I don't… I don't understand why he went back out there and why he left us here. I… I can't… and I can't stop my hands from shaking."

And Lydia's hands on Nixie's freeze when Jackson takes Alison's hands in his own and comforts her. The smirk on his face says it all. He's attempting, at least slightly, to steal Alison away from Scott.

Nixie pats Lydia on the shoulder and says, "Thanks." Then she turns to Alison and moves over to her. Batting Jackson out of the way, she takes Alison's hands in her own, and then says, "Go comfort your girlfriend."

Alison looks up at Nixie, and then asks, "Why? Why did he…" "Because he's trying to save us. Because in case you haven't noticed, I can't pick the damn lock, and unless we get the damn key, we're stuck here, waiting for some asshole to inevitably find us and kill us. Scott's trying to save us. And even though this isn't exactly safe, we're safer in here than we would be out there."

Shrugging, Nixie says, "Have a little faith Alison."

Then they turn to look when Lydia asks, "Jackson, you gave me the sulfuric acid right? Is has to be sulfuric acid, or it won't ignite." Jackson gives her a look and says, "Look, I gave you exactly what you asked for, didn't I?"

Lydia leans back from him, a little afraid, and then says, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you did."

Nixie squeezes Alison's hands and says, "Have faith."

Back to Lydia, Nixie holds her hand out and sighs before saying, "Let me go at it again." Lydia hands her another bobby pin, and then as Lydia moves to Alison's side, Nixie pins a hand to Jackson's chest to keep him with her for a moment.

He's about to ask what the hell she wants, almost forgetting who he's talking to. But he freezes and his eyes quiver a little in fear when Nixie says, "If Scott dies out there because you handed Lydia the wrong ingredient… I'm going to kill you. I'm not going to beat you to a pulp, and I'm not going to break your pretty face. I'm going to kill you for being an overly arrogant dick."

She gives him one last hard look, and then returns to the door to try picking it again.

Of course, that's when the insanely huge and loud growl fills the air. It shakes everything. The ground, the walls, and all the chemicals in the room. It rattles the door so hard that the bobby pin Nixie had been working with falls out.

And then Jackson is screaming. Lydia stares at him with wide eyes, not understanding or knowing what to do. And even Stiles looks like he'd help, except that he's at a loss as well. Except, he does see the claw marks on the back of Jackson's neck. But he doesn't understand what effect that would have on Jackson yet.

Lydia is about to scream herself, when Nixie slides on the floor to Jackson's side. Touching the side of his neck, finding his pulse racing and his skin hot to the touch, she jerks his jacket off of him, and then the button up shirt he had on top of his tank top. Handing both articles to Lydia, Nixie then puts her still cold hands to his neck, hoping to cool him down.

He jumps at first, the shock from his hot skin against her cold shooting through his system almost like electricity. But finally, he relaxes, and he can breathe easy again. Moving her hands to his shoulders, Nixie says, "Talk to me Jackson. What do you need?" "Don't… don't let go yet."

She keeps her hands on him until his pulse steadies completely. Then he glances over at her in complete confusion. She'd not even a full ten minutes ago just threatened to kill him, and he believed every word of it. And yet here she was, helping him, fixing whatever was wrong with him just now.

Nixie meets his confused eyes, and then says, "Scott's not dead yet. And you're still important to her."

Then she stands up and sighs before saying, "Help him put his clothes back on Lydia. I'll be at the door again." Lydia nods and says, "Thank you Nixie." "Of course."

She's back at the door when Stiles asks, "What's that on your neck?" Jackson simply says, "I said I'm fine." But Lydia, having helped him with his shirt and jacket, now says, "It's been there for days and he won't tell me what happened." Glaring, Jackson said, "As if you actually care."

"Jackson." He turns to glance at Nixie, and she says in a low and carefully tempered voice, "The only reason I helped you just now is because Lydia does, in fact care. If she didn't, I wouldn't give a rat's ass about you or anything that happened to you. Consider that, before you try to insult her further."

Jackson stares at her for a while, and then turns to Stiles when he says, "Alright, can we not argue for like… half a second here?" Alison nods, and then asks, "Where's Scott? He should be back by now…"

Nixie doesn't move from her work, but she says gently, "Just have faith Alison." "Is that all you can say?!"

Nixie does pause at that, and then lifts her gaze to Alison. Huffing, Alison says, "He's been…" "He's been delayed. That's all." Alison moves over to her and asks, "And what if he hasn't?" "He has." "And what if he…" "Alison…"

And finally, Alison sees the tears welling up in Nixie's eyes. She shoves them back down, wiping her cheek on her sleeve for a moment, and then says to Alison softly, "There is no other option. He'll be fine. He has to be."

Alison finally just nods, and then sits on the floor with her and asks, "How's it going?" "I may as well be using pencil to try and pick it for all the good I'm doing." "Sarcasm? Really?" "There is always time for sarcasm. Especially in stressful situations."

The faintest of clicks is heard from outside, and as Alison glances out the foggy window on the door, she swears it was Scott. Jumping to her feet, she screams, "Scott! Scott wait!"

But the door is jammed. Not just locked, but jammed. Nixie even tries to help her open it, but the damn thing won't budge. She tries to pick it again, from the inside, but the bobby pin isn't working. It's like it can't make all the mechanisms turn. Huffing in annoyance and standing up, she says, "Something's jamming it from the outside."

And as Alison struggles with it again, Lydia shouts, "Stop! Do you hear that?"

They all stop moving completely, and Stiles and Nixie look at each other when they hear the sirens rolling in. Cops were here. And quite possibly, they were saved.

Or they were all going to die and the werewolf was going to take some cops with them. Either way… something was definitely about to change now.

* * *

As Noah walks them outside, he asks, "And you're sure it was Derek Hale?" Scott nods and Stiles says, "I saw him too."

Noah then looks to Nixie, who still holds up her hands and says, "I came after the fact. I can't say if it was him or not."

She refused to throw him under the bus. If he was dead, then he didn't deserve to die remembered as a murderer when he was one of the only adults around them that hadn't yet killed anyone. And if he wasn't dead… than he didn't need any extra witnesses saying that he'd killed the janitor when he hadn't.

Noah sighs, and then when Scott asks about the janitor, Noah says, "We're still looking." "Did you check under the bleachers?" "Yes, Scott, and we didn't find anything. We pulled them out and checked under them, and there's nothing." "I'm not making this up." "I know, and I believe you. I do."

Scott huffs and says, "No, you don't. You have this look like you feel bad for me. Like you want to believe me, but I know you don't."

Noah sighs, and then looks to Nixie and says, "Nix?" She blinks up at him, and then looks at Stiles and Scott. Then she sighs and says, "I… I can't honestly say anything about the bleachers. I wasn't there for that either." Noah nods, but then also nods again when she says, "But the janitor is dead. I saw that. I saw the body."

Back to Scott, Noah says, "Listen to me. We're gonna search this whole school. We're gonna find him. I promise."

Then he gets called away, but he points at all three of them and says, "Stay. All of you."

Nixie shrugs while Stiles lifts his hands in an offended manner. Then Stiles turns back to Scott and says, "Well, hey, we survived dude. You know? We outlasted the alpha. That's still good right? Being alive?"

But even Nixie sighs at that. Putting an arm around Stiles, she says, "I believe in the department of supernatural things… there is still a great deal we have to learn." "Such as…" "Like the fact that he probably definitely knew where we were the whole time. Why do you think I was trying so hard to pick the deadbolt?"

Scott nods and says, "He walked right past the chemistry room. You don't think he knew we were there? I mean… even if at first the chemicals helped mask our scent, eventually everything would've settled and he would've known. He knew… maybe even the whole time… he knew."

Stiles looks between them, and then asks, "Well, then how come we're still alive?"

Nixie shrugs, but Scott says, "Because it wants me in its pack. But first… I think I have to get rid of my old pack."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "What do you mean Scott? It's only you, Derek, or the alpha that we know about. Who else…" Scott looks at her and says, "I don't think it has to necessarily be werewolves."

Stiles crosses his arms and asks, "Wait… what? What do you…" "I mean Alison. I mean Jackson and Lydia. I mean… I mean you guys."

For a moment, all Stiles and Nixie can do is stare at him. And then Stiles sighs wearily and says, "The alpha doesn't want to kill us." Scott nods, and then looks to Nixie when she adds, "He wants you to do it."

Scott nods again, and then huffs and says, "And that's not even the worst part." Stiles throws up his hands and demands, "How… how in holy hell is that not the worst part Scott?" Nixie nods and says, "I'm with him. How in God's name could it get much worse?" Scott turns to both of them again and says, "Because when he made me shift… I wanted to do it! I wanted to kill you! All of you!"

He looks at Nixie desperately, and then says sadly, "Even you."

Scott watches the tears well up in Nixie's eyes, but she doesn't let them fall. Instead she steps up closer to him. Wrapping him in her arms, holding him tight, she says, "But you didn't. You fought back. You held it together and you got yourself back under control."

Sighing against him, she says, "We can do this Scott. We can beat him. I'm not going to let him turn you into a murderer. You are mine, you understand. You are my friend, and you are practically my brother. And he can't have you."

He hugs her back, squeezing so tight Nixie feels a little short of breath, but she doesn't stop him.

He stops himself eventually and mutters, "No way."

They all turn to see Deaton with an EMT in the parking lot. Dashing over to him, Scott asks, "How…" Deaton smiles and says, "How did I get away? Not easily. And from what I'm told, I'm alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise."

Nixie grins a little for Scott's benefit, and then follows as Noah says, "Come on guys. Let's let the EMTs do their job. You can talk to him later."

As they're walking away though, Scott spots Alison, and dashes over to try and talk to her. Leaning against Noah's cop car, Nixie leans closer to try and listen in.

Scott asks, "Are you okay?" "Yeah. My dad's on his way." "Do you… do you need anything from me? Do you want me to go with you?" "No! No, I don't."

Scott leans back in a little surprise, and then says, "Okay." Finally looking at him, Alison says, "And I also don't know what happened to you in there. I don't know what you were thinking. Maybe you weren't, but… Right now I don't… I don't feel like I can trust you." "Alison, I can explain." "I don't care."

Pleadingly, Scott says, "Okay, don't say anything else please, just don't say anything…" "Scott…" "Alison, just stop. Just please don't say anything. Stiles dad is gonna give me a ride home. I need to make sure my mom isn't freaking out. I'm gonna get a new phone tomorrow morning, and… I am… I'm gonna get a new phone and I'm gonna give you a call…"

"Don't." Scott looks so stunned that Nixie has to turn away. Looking at Alison desperately, Scott asks, "What?" "Don't call. Just… please don't call me Scott."

After she's gone, Nixie comes up to Scott and says, "Hey. Come on. Noah's waiting." "But…" "Space Scott. First you start by giving her space. Then you go from there. For right now… come on. Because you do need to make sure your mom isn't freaking out."

* * *

Later on that night, while Alison is lying in bed awake, she looks at her phone when it goes off. Seeing it's from Nixie, she's honestly prepared for a long message about how she should forgive Scott, or some sort of explanation on Scott's behalf. When Scott needed to be explained, Nixie always seemed to be able too.

But when she read it, she felt a few new tears leave her eyes. Because all it said was…

" _Oh, ye of little faith._ _"_

* * *

And here is Chapter 7! Hope you enjoy it. Chapter 8 will soon follow, and hopefully I'll manage to finish posting this whole season over the long weekend I get to have. Go Labor Day and my inability to bank this particular holiday for use at a later date. And, if you're feeling it, let me know what you think so far. Love you guys. Thanks for reading. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 8: Episode 1x8

"Where are we going?"

Stiles turns back to look at Scott and says, "You'll see."

When Scott turns to Nixie, she shrugs and says, "Your guess is as good as mine. Come on. We should at least humor him." Scott sighs, but puts an arm around Nixie and says, "Thanks for coming." "Of course. I know sometimes my presence is required. Though I am sarcastic, I'm generally also a great deal calmer and put together than Stiles. I balance him out in that sense. And you… can only handle so much of him without me."

Scott grins and says, "I was actually trying to figure out how to word all of that myself, but you kind of hit the nail on the head." "I know. Where else would I hit the nail at anyway?"

Chuckling, they hurry up to keep following Stiles through the woods. When they finally reach the cliff overlooking the ravine below, Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "We're here to jump?" Scott gently takes her by the elbow and says, "Definitely not." "I'm just asking! I wasn't going to do it. I'm not the one that heals in a few minutes if I break a bone." Glancing down at the very long drop to the bottom, she adds, "Or several bones."

Stiles hushes both of them and says, "We're here, because when your best friend gets dumped…" Scott immediately jumps in and says, "I didn't get dumped! We're… we're taking a break." "Okay… well, when your best friend gets told by his girlfriend that they're taking a break… you get your best friend drunk."

Stiles pulls out a bottle of hard whiskey. Probably something he snuck out of his father's liquor supply. Not that Noah was a drunk or anything. Certainly not anymore. But… well, where else would Stiles have gotten it from.

For a moment Nixie and Scott just stare at him. But then Nixie grabs the bottle and takes a swig. Squinting her eyes at the burn that goes down her throat, she then takes a breath and says, "First sip's always the hardest, or so I'm told. You babies joining?"

Of course, later on they figure out that, try as Stiles might… Scott can't get drunk.

Stiles can though. And he's wasted. Nixie stopped after four or five sips of the stuff. Of course, she'd done that thinking that she'd need to be the mostly sober one to make sure they made it back home all in one piece. But… well, Scott could've done that apparently.

But now she's sitting with Scott, mostly sober, to make sure that if Stiles says something he shouldn't, Nixie can remind Scott that he's drunk and that they can snap embarrassing pictures of him and blackmail him with them later. Not exactly the best of plans… but a plan nonetheless.

"Dude, you know, she's just one… one girl. There's so many… there are so many other girls in the sea." Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks Stiles, "In the sea? Is he looking for Ariel?" Stiles eyes burst wide open for a second, and he mumbles drunkenly, "We should see if mermaids exist!" And then he slumps back down on the ground.

Scott shakes his head and says, "Fish in the sea Stiles. It's supposed to be fish in the sea." "Fish? Why are you talking about fish? I'm talking about girls."

Exhaling deeply, Stiles says, "I love girls. I love them. I love… especially ones with strawberry blond hair, green eyes, five-foot-three…"

Nixie rolls her eyes while Scott asks, "Like Lydia?" "Yeah… exactly! Hey, how did you know I was talking about… about…" Stiles laughs suddenly and asks, "What was I talking about?" And rolling her eyes again, Nixie says, "Lydia. Again." "Hey… I thought you guys were friends again. Or… I mean… were… happy with each other… again."

Scott nudges Nixie's arm at that and asks gently, "What's up?" "Nothing Scott. We were kind of arguing beforehand about her basically being a bitch to you and Stiles. We still were when we got trapped in the school." And to Stiles, she says, "And just because I helped protect her and kept her safe doesn't mean I'm not still peeved at her. I could be pissed at one of you guys and I'd still kick anyone's ass who tried to hurt you."

Stiles blinks up at them for a moment, too drunk to really process the whole conversation that just took place. Then he points at both and says, "Hey… you two aren't happy. Take a drink. Both of you."

Nixie takes the bottle to appease Stiles, but after she sips and hands it over to Scott, he says, "I don't want anymore." Stiles sits it down on the ground again and asks, "You're not drunk?" Scott shakes his head and says, "I'm not anything." Nixie ponders briefly, and then says, "Probably has something to do with werewolf metabolism or something like that." Scott shrugs, but Stiles points and says, "Yeah! Like not needing your inhaler. Maybe you can't get drunk as a wolf."

Scott and Nixie look at each other, and then grin slightly before slumping down and just letting Stiles talk some more about nonsense. Nixie is honestly tired now, and is almost asleep on Scott's shoulder, when two guys come out of the woods and snatch the whiskey bottle.

"Well, well… look at these two dicks and their bitch, getting their drink on." Nixie rolls her eyes, but then sits up straighter and turns when Scott says, "Give it back and apologize to her."

The man in front, the leader obviously, narrows his eyes at Scott and asks, "What's that, little man?" And his friend chuckles and says, "I think he wants a drink."

Scott, not flinching or moving at all yet, simply says, "I want the bottle."

Nixie puts her arm through Scott's and says, "Hey. Maybe we should just get out of here. You aren't getting drunk anyway. We can just leave." But Scott shakes his head and says, "No. Stiles brought me here to get drunk. And I'm not yet."

Standing up, bringing Nixie with him, he moves in front of the men and says, "Give me the bottle and apologize to her."

The man shakes his head, but then says, "I might give you the bottle if your little bitch gives us a little show."

Nixie glowers at him, but then freezes and grips Scott tighter when his voice drops down several octaves, coming out as more of a growl than a man's voice, and his eyes are glowing when he says, "Give me the bottle of Jack."

The man hands it over, not understanding what's happening, but not wanting to piss off Scott anymore. And Scott takes the bottle from his grip and throws and smashes it into a nearby tree. Then Scott looks at him again and says, "Apologize to her."

Both men look at Nixie, and then the leader says, "Sorry… sorry ma'am… for ruining your evening… sorry… so sorry."

Nixie grips Scott tighter after a moment more, and then says, "Come on Scott. I want to get out of here."

He glances at her at that, calming down a little. Nixie figured that would work. Scott wasn't in the mood to be intimidated right now, and wouldn't be leaving for his own sake. But for hers… he'd leave for her sake right now.

Stiles follows of course, and once they're out of earshot, he says, "Okay, please tell me that was because of the breakup. I saw your claws grow and come out." Nixie squeezes Scott's arm again, not having known or seen that part. Rubbing up and down his arm, she asks, "Or because of the full moon tomorrow maybe?"

Scott doesn't answer either of them. He just opens the door for Nixie to get in the backseat of Stiles' jeep. On the passenger side, since he's way too drunk to drive, Stiles asks, "Going home now, yeah?"

And Stiles collapses into his seat and passes out. Yep. He's wasted.

As Scott drives down the road, Nixie leans forward and wraps her arms around him in a hug. And it takes a minute longer than she'd like… but eventually he sighs and says, "I'm alright now. I don't… I don't know what's going on exactly. A lot of things maybe. I don't…" "Hey… it's okay Scott. We'll figure this out the way we always do." "And that is?" "Together obviously. Because it's all for one and one for all."

And she smiles when Scott says, "Three musketeers till the end. Thanks Nix."

* * *

Alison sighs as she walks with Lydia and says, "It's just weird. I mean… everybody's talking about what happened that night and nobody knows it was us." Lydia nods and then sighs and says, "Thank you for the protection of minors."

Alison sighs again and asks, "Lydia… do you think I made the wrong decision?"

Nixie watches them walk past, keeping herself to her locker and behind some other people to avoid them. She can't help but roll her eyes in annoyance when Lydia immediately says, "About that jacket with that dress? Absolutely."

Alison huffs and says, "You know what I mean?" Lydia gives her a look, and then says, "Hello? Scott locked us in that classroom and left us for dead. He's lucky we're not pressing charges, or making him pay our therapy bills."

Lydia is this close to having Alison completely convinced that she did the right thing breaking up with Scott. And Lydia would've considered it a victory… if not for the iron tight grip that suddenly latched onto her elbow.

Alison turns and almost gasps audibly when she sees Nixie dragging Lydia with her down another hallway. Scrambling to follow them, Alison asks, "Nixie? What are you…"

Lydia winces as she's pushed into a nearby wall once there's no one else around. And her eyes widen in fear when Nixie turns to face her with dark and stormy eyes. In fact, the sky behind her in the windows seems to be trying to match that look, but it doesn't quite have it yet.

Nixie let's go of Lydia's elbow, almost shoving her arm away as though touching Lydia was some sort of filthy act at this point. Then she gets in Lydia's face and says, "Leave Scott alone. Leave my boy alone. What part of those statements do you seem to have a problem grasping Lydia?"

Lydia, for her part, doesn't know what to say. She'd thought she'd seen Nixie pissed and at her worst. But she was proven wrong in this moment. She'd never seen Nixie as furious as she was right now.

And Nixie knows that part of it is because it's Lydia. Lydia… who is supposed to at least be her friend… if not Scott and Stiles' eventually. And if Nixie could tolerate Jackson enough to not have broken his face in all this time, Lydia should be able to do this one simple thing. And she wasn't even trying.

Leaning back, Nixie nods to her and says warningly, "Alright Lydia. Test me again. We'll see just how permanent our friendship really is."

Lydia's eyes burst wide at that statement, and then Nixie turns to Alison and says, "And you could not have made a more stupid-ass decision, in your entire life."

And with that, she walks away. Alison comes up to Lydia's side and says, "She's pissed. But… Scott locked her in too." "Ye… Yeah." Alison looks at Lydia, and then asks, "You okay?" "She… she threatened to not be my friend. I… I didn't… I can't…" Alison hugs Lydia tight and says, "Hey… I'm here." "No offense Alison… but you're not Nixie. Oh… what am I doing?"

But Lydia doesn't get to answer that, even for herself, because the warning bell rings, and they all head to class for their tests.

* * *

When Scott takes off out of the room they're testing in… well, Nixie had already had fifteen minutes to finish it. So after Stiles chased out after Scott, she folded up and packed up everything, and then went down to the desk. Handing over her finished test… with her name on the cover, she then nods towards the door and says, "I'm gonna go check on them if it's alright. Scott might be having an asthma attack or something." "Of course Ms. Haven."

She finds them in the boys locker room, Scott underneath the pouring shower water, trying to regain control. Looking at Stiles, who is holding the bag Scott dropped earlier, she asks, "What's happening?" Stiles shrugs, but then finally Scott turns around and says, "Stiles… Nix… I… I can't…"

Nixie steps closer and asks, "What's happening Scott? Talk to us." Stiles nods and asks, "Yeah, what's going on? Are you changing?"

Scott shakes his head and says, "No… no I can't breathe."

Literally. Scott starts choking on air and gasping for breath, as though he were actually fighting off an asthma attack.

Or like he was actually having an asthma attack.

Turning to Stiles, Nixie says, "His inhaler. Find it." Stiles rummages through the bag, and then hands it over to Scott and says, "Here, use this."

When Scott gives them a funny look, Nixie says, "Just do it Scott."

He takes a puff of air, and his body instantly relaxes. Straightening up and looking at them in confusion, Scott asks, "I was having an asthma attack? But… I…" Stiles shakes his head and says, "No, you were having a panic attack." Nixie nods and adds, "But, thinking you were having an asthma attack actually stopped the panic attack."

Stiles nods and then adds, "Irony. Good job Nix." "Thanks."

Scott looks at Nixie, and then asks, "How'd you know to do that?" Nixie shrugs and says, "You… looked like you were having an asthma attack. Seemed to make sense to me." Stiles nods, and then says, "On a side note, I used to get panic attacks after my mom died. Not fun, huh?"

Nixie puts an arm around Stiles and smiles gently at him. But Scott, for his part, is still looking at Nixie.

She hadn't lied. He'd heard her heart and it had stayed steady. So she hadn't lied. But… it was the look she'd given him… like that wasn't the whole answer, or that there was another reason she knew to give him his inhaler to stop the panic attack. It was that, that had him watching her now. Because if she did have another reason for knowing how to avoid panic attacks… what was it?

But when she looks at him again, her face is clear as she smiles, so Scott pushes that worry away. This was Nixie. Anything important he needed to know… she would tell him. He had no doubt about that.

Sighing finally, he says, "I looked at her… at Alison… and it was like someone hit me in the ribs with a hammer." Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, it's called heartbreak. About two billion songs written about it." Nixie adds, "In fact, I think whole albums are occasionally dedicated to just heartbreak."

Stiles points at her approvingly, and then they look at Scott when he says, "It's more than that guys. It… it's like… it was like I could feel everyone else's emotions in the room." Stiles says, "It's gotta be the full moon. It's effecting you already. So… we'll lock you up in your room later, like we planned. It'll be fine."

Scott looks to Nixie and says, "We need to do a lot more than lock me in my room." Smile turning down worriedly, Nixie asks, "Why? Are you worried about the hunters? Because I can…" "No. No, I think that if I get out… I think I might kill someone."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie nods and says, "I'll bring extra chains. Hopefully that will do the trick. I don't know of much else to do."

* * *

When the boys come out of the locker room later, Stiles immediately scrambles over to Nixie and says, "Scott's co-captain! And I'm first freaking line!" Nixie can't help laughing at him as he lets out yet another victorious battle cry. She'd heard the one he gave from inside the locker room too, though at the time she hadn't yet heard the rest of the conversation and hadn't known what it was for.

Scott huffs and asks, "So what, it's just a stupid title? I could practically smell the jealousy in there." Nixie pauses, and then puts a hand to his chest and asks, "Really? You smelled jealousy?" Scott nods and says, "Yeah, it's like the full moon has turned everything up to ten." "Huh. Go figure."

Then Stiles spots Lydia down at the double doors, and so he asks, "Can you pick up on… I don't know… desire?" "Desire? What do you mean?" "Sexual desire."

Nixie rolls her eyes and says for Stiles' benefit, "He means Lydia to himself Scott." Scott looks down to where Lydia is standing, and then back to Stiles. Finally, Stiles just says, "Okay, yes fine, from Lydia to me. I need to know if I have even a small chance with this girl. Alright? I've been obsessing about her since the third grade."

Scott sighs and asks, "Why don't you just ask her yourself?" "Well, to save myself utterly crushing humiliation. Plus… that's what Nixie's for… eventually… maybe." Nixie rolls her eyes, to which Stiles says, "Oh shut up. Anyway, so can you please, can you just go up and ask her if she likes me? See if her heartbeat rises, or pheromones come out?"

Nixie is about to tell Stiles to just drop it, when Scott suddenly says, "Fine." Stiles watches after him in awe for a moment before saying, "I love you. I love you… you're my best friend in the whole wide world." Nixie rolls her eyes again, but watches Scott carefully as he makes his way to Lydia.

Something isn't right. She's not sure what exactly… but something isn't right.

* * *

When Nixie sees Danny go down on the field, she dashes off the bleachers to check on him. Aside from Lydia, who isn't going to let anyone see how smart she really is, Nixie is the smart one. She can at least tell them if Danny needs to go to the hospital or the nurse or anything.

Down at his side, she shoves another boy's hands away and says, "You can't just pry his helmet off like that. Are you trying to break his neck?"

Danny looks up at her, and when she meets his gaze, she says, "Hey Danny." "Hey Nixie. What's up with your boy McCall?" Sighing, Nixie says, "I honestly wish I could tell you that Danny. Listen… try not to move your head too much, alright. Just let me move you, alright?" "Okay."

She gets someone else to lift him under his neck while she removes the helmet. Then she moves her fingers in front of his eyes, asks how many there are, and then tells him to focus on her finger and follow it.

When she's done with everything, Coach asks, "Well?" "He needs some Advil for the headache. Other than that, he's fine. Just got knocked really hard." Patting Danny's shoulder, Nixie says, "Of course… you can go to the nurse if you want anyway. She's probably got a cold pack you can use." "Thanks Nixie." "No problem."

Standing up and moving over to Stiles, whose face is currently like that of a gob-fish, Nixie asks, "What?"

"He made out with Lydia." Nixie snaps her head around to follow his gaze, and finds Lydia with Jackson…

Fixing her lipstick, which had been perfect as always before.

Lydia had made out with Scott. She was taking advantage of Scott during the full moon. She didn't even know that's what she was doing… but she was.

Nixie is seriously beginning to wonder why she became friends with this girl in the first place.

* * *

When she got to Scott's house first and was trying to practice picking the lock again, Stiles pulled up literally two seconds after and said, "Hey, I've got a key. Save your mad picking skills for a time when we need them." "Like at the school after midnight when dead bolts prove to be my kryptonite?" "Exactly."

Stepping inside, he says, "Don't worry about that by the way. It's not like anyone else was faring any better." "True. I'm still disappointed though."

"Scott?" Melissa rounds the corner of the room, and upon seeing Stiles and Nixie, she says, "Ah. Key?" Stiles holds it up and says, "Yeah, I had one made." "That doesn't surprise me. Scares me, but doesn't surprise me."

Stiles drops the bag of supplies on the ground, and when they clang against the floor, Melissa points and asks, "What is that?" Stiles looks down at the bag, for a moment unsure of what to say. So Nixie steps in and says, "School project." "Ah."

She looks between the two of them for a moment, and then asks, "Guys… he's okay, right?" Stiles waves it off and says, "Scott? Yeah, totally." Nixie nods in answer to that, not really wanting to say the lie aloud. Melissa sighs and says, "It's just… he doesn't talk to me much, anymore. At least, not like he used to."

Nixie reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder gently and says, "Well… he has had a bit of a rough week. With Alison being a stupid head, and the whole… Derek thing." "Yeah. Yeah, I get it… totally."

Sighing, Melissa checks for her own keys, and then says, "Okay, well, you guys be careful tonight." Stiles points and says, "You too." Melissa nods and says, "Full moon."

When Nixie's grip on her shoulder tightens a bit, Melissa looks up at her and asks, "What?" "Nothing. But um… why does it matter that there's a full moon tonight?" "Oh, it's just how it is. You should see how the ER gets on nights like tonight. Brings out all the nut jobs."

Nixie and Stiles look at each other, and then Stiles relaxes a little and says, "Right. Of course." Melissa then smiles a little and says, "You know, it's actually where they came up with the word 'lunatic'."

As soon as she's out the door, Stiles turns to Nixie and says, "She knows something!" "Melissa? No she doesn't. If she did, or even thought she did, she would've interrogated us a hell of a lot longer than that."

When she finally appeases Stiles that Melissa doesn't know anything, he lugs the duffle bag upstairs. Nixie is following him, until Melissa steps back in the door and says, "Nixie. Just a second."

Coming back down, Nixie asks, "Yeah? What's up Melissa?" She smiles gently at her, and then sighs and says, "Okay, look. I don't have time right now, or we'd be having that discussion we need to be having. But… I at least think you should know why Noah and I need to talk to you at this point." "Yeah, that'd be nice."

Melissa gives her a look, and then sighs and says, "Um… look, we're fine with it. We're honored by it, actually. But… you should've told us." "Told you what?" "That we're you're… stand-in parents."

Nixie blinks at her, and then says, "Oh." Melissa tilts her head and asks, "Oh. That's is? Oh?" Nixie shrugs and then says, "That's just… not what I was expecting. I thought maybe I'd done something to one of your houses that you weren't too thrilled about or left something behind that you thought was important. And I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with it. But… well, oh."

Melissa sighs again and says, "Look, we just need to talk about it. And you're in a tiny bit of trouble for not having told us about it. But… look, don't worry about it anymore alright. We'll get around to it eventually." "Sure thing Melissa." "Alright. Goodnight. Make sure they don't stay up too late." "I'll do what I can."

Upstairs, Stiles has already managed to trick Scott into coming closer to the bag. And as soon as she steps in the door, as soon as Scott looks to her and is distracted, Stiles lunges forward and cuffs him to the air conditioning unit in his room.

Hurling back, nearly knocking Nixie over in the process of getting away from Scott, Stiles turns back when Scott yells, "What the hell are you doing?!" Stiles relaxes a little, glad to have succeeded, and then says, "Protecting you from yourself. And giving you some payback for making out with Lydia."

Scott's eyes look like that of a murderer at the moment, so Nixie pulls Stiles back and says, "Come on. Give him some space for a minute." Then Scott looks at her and he yells, "You're just gonna let him?!" Nixie narrows her eyes and says, "Yeah. Pretty much."

Out in the hall, Nixie says, "I know you're pissed and all Stiles, but you need to chill a little bit." "Fine… just… I have one more thing."

He leaves for a minute, and when he comes back, Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Stiles… don't." But Stiles is already in the room, with a dog bowl for Scott that he pours water into and sets before him.

It doesn't surprise Nixie in the slightest when the bowl is then tossed as Stiles back, with Scott yelling, "I'm gonna kill you!" Stiles stares at the wall in front of him for a second more, and then turns and lashes out, "You kissed her Scott. You kissed Lydia. That's like, the one girl that I… And you know, for the past three hours, I've been thinking, it's probably just the full moon, you know. He doesn't even know what he's doing, and tomorrow he'll be totally back to normal."

Nixie nods and says from the hall, "And he probably won't even remember what a complete dumbass he's been." Stiles points towards her and says, "Exactly! A son of a bitch, a freaking unbelievable piece of crap friend."

"She kissed me." Nixie freezes on that sentence. She'd known Lydia made out with Scott. Lydia wasn't exactly a set in stone person. She went out with Jackson, and he was her number one. They'd probably get married and have babies someday, unless Lydia actually learned to stop pretending to be a bimbo.

But her initiating it… her being the one to start kissing Scott? Nixie hadn't exactly been completely braced for that.

Talk about a piece of crap friend.

Stiles comes back into the hall, so unbelievably mad that he can't even speak, which is saying something. Scott chuckles and says, "She would've done a lot more too. You should've seen the way she had her hands all over me. She would've done anything I wanted. Anything!"

Stiles just leans against the wall and slumps to sit on the ground. Still not talking. Nixie steps into the doorway of Scott's room and says, "I know right now you probably don't care… but you seriously need to get a grip Scott. You need to learn control. Because if this is how it's always going to be on a full moon… well, there's only so much we can take before we actually start hating you for it."

She shuts the door behind her on the way out and sits against the wall opposite Stiles. Sighing, she asks, "You alright?" "It's just the full moon." "I know that. Doesn't mean you have to be alright with it. And if you're not… you can talk to me." "I'm alright. Or… I will be, you know." "Yeah."

Stiles then looks to her and asks, "How about you?" "I'm seriously beginning to wonder if being Lydia's friend is still worth it. Even for your sake." Stiles grins a little, and then says, "She's not all bad." "Just mostly." "I think that's Jackson's fault." "She's plenty bad on her own Stiles. You can't defend her from that… particularly not from me. I know her… maybe even better than you do."

Sighing, she adds, "I just didn't think she'd be so stupid as to piss me off this much." Stiles watches her for a moment, and then asks, "You seriously thinking about cutting her off?" "Yes."

When she looks at him again, seeing the worry in his eyes, she asks, "What?" "Nothing… it's just… well, I didn't think it was possible to ever lose you as a friend. You know. I always figured… once you're in… once Nixie has picked you and has become your friend… that was it. You were in forever, and nothing was ever going to change that."

Shrugging, he says, "But… I mean… if you cut off Lydia. Well, than that whole theory of mine is ruined. And what am I supposed to do if we can't be friends with Scott and then you get tired of me. I'll just be…" Nixie shakes her head and says, "Stiles, don't be stupid. You and Scott will never lose me." "But…" Nixie sighs and says, "Stiles… you and Scott are family to me. You're my brothers that I never got to have. And neither one of you is being nearly as stupid and pathetic as Lydia is being. Lydia, as you know, is fake most of the time, and I'm not all that fond of fake Lydia. But you and Scott are real, all the time. And I love you guys. So you can't lose me."

Leaning her head back against the wall again, she says, "And if Lydia would just wise up and stop pretending to be a stupid, air-headed, bimbo… I'd be able to say the same for her as well."

Stiles nods after a moment, and then sighs and says, "Our lives got really freaking complicated all of a sudden." And even though Nixie's life had been complicated to begin with, she still smiles and says, "Yeah. But all the best lives to live are filled with complications." "Really? Or are you just making that up?" "I'm very confident I'm correct. And I am quite smart you know." "Yeah, yeah."

They sit there in silence for a while, Stiles going to get them some water and returning, but other than that, remaining within reach of Scott at all times.

Finally, from inside the room, Scott says in a more normal sounding voice, "Stiles, please let me out. It's the full moon, I swear. Nixie… tell him. You know, right? You know I wouldn't do any of this on purpose?"

Then his voice changes, and Nixie tilts her head to listen better when he says, "Please Stiles, let me out. It's starting to hurt." When Stiles makes to possibly move, Nixie holds up a hand to him and shakes her head, indicating he should stay still. Still listening, they hear Scott say, "It's not like the first time. It's the full moon. It's Alison, breaking up with me. And I know… I know that it's not just taking a break. She broke up with me. And it's killing me. I feel completely hopeless."

Stiles makes to move again, but Nixie moves forward and holds a hand against his chest to keep him still. Stiles flails slightly and says in a whisper, "Hey! He's in pain." Nixie shakes her head though and says, "Even if he's telling the truth, it's not as bad as he's making it. It is the full moon. But he's also still relying on his human side." "Meaning?" Nixie leans closer to him and says, "Meaning he's trying to make you feel sorry enough for him that you'll turn him loose and release him on the world so he can go murder some innocent jogger on the sidewalk."

Shaking her head, Nixie says, "Our Scott, the real Scott, knew about this plan and was fine with it. When we get him back, he'll be grateful. But right now, our Scott is gone, as we have to keep this guy locked up and in here until he returns. Got it?" Stiles nods after a moment, sighing and leaning his head back against the wall. And when Scott asks to be let out again, Stiles sighs and says, "We can't."

And then Scott starts screaming, and Stiles reaches up to cover his ears to keep from listening to the sound. Nixie leans her forehead against the wall beside him, keeping a hand on his shoulder, but she's not restraining him this time. She's just trying to make sure that they can both keep it together. Because even if it sounds like they're torturing him… this is what Scott needs from them right now. He needs them to keep him locked up and in his room until the sun is out again.

She's not sure he'd be able to live with himself if he got out and did something so terrible as kill somebody. He was already depressed. She'd hate to think of what might happen if he killed someone on top of that.

But then he finally stops screaming. And when Scott growls one last time and then the room goes silent, Nixie lifts her head and tilts it again. She'd always had exceptional hearing compared to the boys. But there were still things she couldn't hear. So it was entirely possible that the sudden silence in the room didn't mean that Scott was somehow gone.

But that seemed like a very slim possibility even to her. So she grabs Stiles and pulls him up off the floor and then opens the door to the room.

Stiles' mouth drops open and he says, "Damn it. How am I supposed to explain that to my dad?" Because the cuffs aren't just off of Scott or off of the air conditioning unit. The cuffs are broken. Both of them. Left on the floor in some of Scott's blood.

And the window's open. And Scott's gone.

And all Nixie can think to say is, "Son of a bitch."

* * *

"Stiles, we're gonna find him. It's gonna be okay." "Yeah, but before or after he kills somebody?" "Before." "You don't know that." Nixie concedes to that and says, "True… but I prefer to be an optimist right now."

When they pull up next to the ambulance and the cop cars in Stiles jeep, Nixie can feel Stiles heart stop in his chest. So she doesn't argue when he stops and pulls over. And when he gets out and starts asking for his dad, Nixie turns in a full circle, scanning the cops around them to see if she can find Noah.

She's just looked over at the last car to have arrived, and seen Noah's head rise up when he stepped out. Coming over to Stiles, she says, "Hey… he's…"

But Stiles is staring at the burnt body on the gurney. So… at the very least… it didn't look like this was Scott. If Scott had killed somebody, then they would be torn apart and bleeding, not burnt to a crisp.

And then Noah comes over to where they're standing and says, "Nixie? Stiles? What are you two doing here?" Stiles just wraps him in a hug immediately, not bothering to explain. And when Noah looks to Nixie for explanation, she shrugs and says, "It's a full moon. Brings out all the crazies. Or so I'm told."

As Stiles and Noah talk for a few minutes about what happened to the body and everything that's happened that night, Nixie turns her gaze towards where she feels she's being watched. The black car in that direction, headlights off and cloaked in shadow, doesn't stop her from recognizing that it's Chris and his younger sister Kate in the front seats.

Chris and Kate were finishing discussing the possibilities of there being a new younger werewolf in town, when Chris looks up and jumps slightly in surprise. Kate looks at him and asks, "What? What is…"

But when she looks towards the front of their car, she leans back too. Because Nixie is now at the edge of the road, staring at them, watching them, hands in her pockets, blue eyes narrowed and face tight with tension as she looks at them. Chris moves to shift gears and says, "We should go."

Kate glances between the two of them and asks, "Who is she?" "Another friend of Alison's. Nixie." "Ah… Nixie. Heard about her. Overly protective. Fiercely loyal. Weird for someone so young, isn't it." "It is, I admit. But…" Chris then turns to Kate and says, "You don't think… you don't honestly think she's…" "I'm just saying. We should look at all of our possibilities here."

And they both jump when Nixie says from beside them, "You should look at leaving the crime scene before I report you to Noah."

Leaning down so they can see her in the window beside Chris's door, she narrows her eyes first at him, and then at Kate. And before Chris can speak, whether to apologize in person for having offended her, or to tell her something else entirely, he stops when Nixie points at Kate past him. And Nixie simply says, "I don't like you. And we will never be friends."

She wasn't sure why she in particular hated Kate of all people… but she did. Then she looks to Chris and says, "I suggest you leave and enjoy the rest of your night. Goodnight, Mr. Argent."

He still felt the sting of her not using his first name, but before he could say more, she stood up and walked back over to Stiles and his dad.

Kate lets out a low whistle and says, "Wow. So… she's intense." "Kate… you have no idea."

* * *

"I've got your boy. I'm taking him back home."

Nixie screeches her bike to a stop, and then she asks softly into her phone, "Derek?"

Silence for a moment, and then he says, "He's fine. He's going to bed. He'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll see you around Nixie."

"Derek, wait!" But he hangs up and though Nixie tries to dial him back, she just gets sent to voicemail. Sighing on her fifth try, when the message comes up, she waits for the beep and then says, "Okay, look, I'm not the one who told everyone you were at the school that night. I was and still am very against that plan. Sure, I didn't stop them, and maybe I should've, but I didn't do it and never approved of it. And secondly, you do not just get to call me out of the blue, say you found Scott, and then hang up like I didn't think for an entire day and a half that you were quite possibly dead. So when you find time, you had better damn well call me back and tell me what happened to you the rest of that night. I was worried sick, do you understand? Sick."

Sighing, she then adds, "Also, really glad you're not dead. Okay. Call me back. I'm serious. Goodnight."

She stands there for a moment on the side of the road, all the tension slowly leaking from her body for a moment. Sure, the Argents were now getting closer to finding Scott. And yes, the alpha was still out there. And then there was the whole issue with Lydia.

But… Scott had been found, and he hadn't killed anyone. And Derek wasn't dead. And Stiles' dad was fine.

All in all, the night could've been worse. It could've been so much worse. And Nixie finds that tonight at least, she has no trouble falling asleep and getting some much needed rest.

* * *

Chapter 8! Yes! Just four more to go after this. And again, hopefully at some point this weekend I'll have time to post the rest. (I should, but we'll see.)


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 9: Episode 1x9

"Faster?" Nixie glances behind her towards the SUV chasing them in Derek's car.

Note to self, when the driver's side window wasn't smashed in, Derek had a really nice car.

Then she looks forward to Scott as Stiles says, "Much faster." Nixie nods and says, "Like Mach speeds would be nice right about now." Scott nods and does speed up, but Kate is still right on their tail.

Stiles glances back, and then says to Scott, "Okay Scott, I don't think you're grasping the concept of the car chase here." Nixie nods and says, "Mainly the part where our goal is to eventually lose the maniac behind us." "If I go faster, I'll kill us." Stiles shouts, "Well, if you don't go faster, they're gonna kill us!"

So Scott speeds up again, but Kate is still on them. Finally, Nixie sighs and says, "Scott, roll your seat back." "What? Why?" "Just do it!"

He finds the switch under his seat and it slides back so his foot barely reaches the pedal. "Great. Now what Nix?!"

She slides herself between the two seats and then into his lap. Stiles' mouth drops open again and he asks, "What are you doing?" "Driving since neither of you is any good at it."

Nixie shifts gears and takes off, peeling around corners and taking off down the skinnier roads that she knows. It takes a few minutes more, but finally Kate's headlights fade into the distance, and then vanish from view altogether.

Stiles looks back and then says, "Huh. She's gone." Nixie slows down, cuts the car and headlights off, and then leans back against Scott in the seat. Sighing, she says, "And that, my friends, is how you win the car chase." Stiles laughs and Scott holds up a hand in front of her so she can high-five it. Then he says, "Here, let me get in the back. If we need to move again, you're driving." "Excellent choice."

And that's when Stiles cuts the radio back on and they learn that Derek is in the iron works. Cranking the car back up, Nixie says, "I thought you told him to lay low Scott." "I did!" "Well, maybe someone should stress it to him again. Because if he ends up dead, I'm going to kill him."

It takes a second, but then Nixie laughs when Stiles says, "That'll be kind of redundant since he'll already be dead, but point made and taken. Let's go save his ass so we can explain it to him."

When they pull up beside him, Nixie glares at Chris on the stairs on the side of a building. Not that it matters because Chris can't see her through the tinted windows of Derek's car. Regardless, she'd like to think he can somehow still feel that her gaze is on him, however unlikely that might be. Then Stiles throws open the door and says, "Get in!"

Derek scrambles for his car and Nixie peels away and out of the iron works as fast as possible.

Scott leans forward and asks, "What part of laying low don't you understand?" But Derek, not paying attention at the moment, says, "Damn it! I had him!"

Stiles shoves Scott back so he can lean forward between the seats and asks, "Who, the alpha!?" "Yes! He was right in front of me and the freaking police showed up." "Oh, hey, they're just doing their jobs…" Derek is about to give Stiles a look, but then he hears the slap against the back of Stiles head. Stiles jerks to look at Nixie and asks, "What?! I thought you were mad at him?!" "I am mad at him. For being stupid. And for still not calling me back. Currently, however, is not the time to point out that your dad is just 'doing his job'. Since it's your fault, and Scott's fault, that Derek is currently the most wanted fugitive in the state."

Derek raises an eyebrow, because he was fully aware that he'd been on Scott's ass about that. But he hadn't listened to Nixie's messages, or Scott's either, so he hadn't known that Nixie had been ragging on him about it just a much. At least, until Scott asks, "Seriously Nixie, can we please get past that? I made a dumbass mistake. I get it."

Nixie shrugs and says, "I don't know Scott. It was pretty dumbass." "Noted." Stiles leans forward again and asks, "Alright, enough of that! Back to important things. Like how did you find him Derek?"

To that Derek scoffs, and Scott asks, "Can you try to trust us for at least half a second?" Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, all three of us."

Derek does give Stiles a look this time, to which Stiles adds, "Or just Scott. I'll be back here with him. Nixie'll be driving." Derek glances at Scott and says, "I don't particularly trust you either." Scott looks offended, but then both boys looks over when Derek looks at Nixie. She glances back at Derek, and then asks, "What?"

Derek stares for a half second more, and then nods and says, "But I trust you. If for no other reason than the fact that at least you happen to be consistent compared to those two." "I don't know. Stiles is pretty consistent. You just don't like him." "And that too."

Leaning back in his seat, Derek sighs and says, "Look, the last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris." Nixie blinks, and then asks, "Wait, Adrian Harris?" Stiles lunges forward again and asks in complete bafflement, "Our chemistry teacher?" And Scott adds, "Why him?"

Derek sighs and pushes Stiles and Scott back as gently as he can so he doesn't upset Nixie by hurting them. Then he says to her, "I don't know why yet. But the second thing was some kind of symbol."

He pulls out a picture of it, and Nixie glances at it before tossing her head towards the back and saying, "Show it to Scott." Derek does, and then Nixie asks, "Look familiar?" "Yeah. It's the symbol on Alison's necklace."

Nixie sighs and says, "And once again, the complications of our lives begin piling up. Stiles, is your jeep still at Scott's?" "Yeah." "Okay. Derek, that's where I'm going, and then you can have your car back."

She shifts gears again, and then glances over when Derek says, "You know cars pretty well. Were you driving the whole time?" "No." Derek glances back at the boys, and then asks Nixie, "Do I want to know how mean they were to my car?" "Not really. It was honestly probably cruel of me to let them drive in the first place. But then again, you didn't return my messages, so it serves you right."

When he makes to speak again, Nixie holds up a hand and says, "Unless it pertains to the alpha, or your mystery symbol, or Mr. Harris… don't speak right now. I'm mad at you." "For what?!" "For not calling me back, dumbass."

Silence reigns for a while, and then Stiles leans forward on Derek's other side and says softly, "The phone calls are kind of her thing. We call her if we need anything, literally anything. And when she calls us, we listen to the message, and if need be, we call her back. To not call back is like, asking to be shipped off to a private island with all contact from Nixie lost for like… at least twenty-four hours. It's a sad twenty-four hours too."

Derek glances at Nixie again, and then resigns himself to being silent. He'd listen to her messages later and figure out what to say to fix that. For now, he was content to let her finish driving the boys home so they could plan how to get the necklace from Alison.

* * *

"Okay, how the hell did he find out?" Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose as she walks with Scott and Stiles down the stairs in the hall.

Jackson knew. Of all the other people in the world who could possibly find out, Jackson was the one who knew.

Should've followed through on her threat already and broken his pretty little face. Or at least come close to beating him within an inch of his life. Either might've prevented his new ultimatum to Scott, that he find a way to turn Jackson into a werewolf as well, or he'd tell Alison what Scott was too.

Which, considering Alison came from a family of werewolf hunters… was definitely not a good thing.

Scott sighs and says, "I have no idea." Stiles huffs and asks, "Well… did he said it out loud? The word?" "Word? Stiles, what word?" Nixie comes up between them and asks in frustration, "Werewolf? Did Jackson say, 'I know you're a werewolf?'" Scott turns to both of them and says through his teeth, "No, but he implied it pretty freaking clearly."

Silence takes over their conversation for a while, and then Stiles offers up, "Okay, maybe it's not as bad as it seems. I mean, he doesn't have any proof, right?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I don't know if we can say for certain about that. I mean… how did he exactly figure it out if he doesn't at least think he has some kind of proof."

Then Nixie puts a hand on Scott's shoulder and says, "But, I would like to point out that, if he wanted to tell someone… who's gonna believe him anyway?" "Alison's father?" Nixie pauses at that, and then says, "I don't think that's where Jackson would start. He doesn't know about Mr. Argent's involvement in all of this, or at least, he doesn't know yet. All he appears to know is that you're a werewolf, if he actually does know that."

Stiles sighs and says, "Still… this is pretty bad." Scott nods and says, "I need a cure. Like, right now." Nixie nods and says, "Working on it Scott." Stiles nods as well, and then asks, "Okay, where's Derek?"

Nixie crosses her arms at his name, still pissed off at him. He still hadn't called her back. Of course, maybe last night she wouldn't have answered him anyway, but still…

Okay, she would've answered him. She always answered the phone if it was possible. So maybe that was part of why she was still pissed.

Stiles rubs a hand up her back comfortingly while Scott answers, "Hiding, like we told him to. Why?" "I have another idea. It's gonna take a little time and finesse, though. And I'm gonna need Nixie's help, so she's with me on this one." Nixie nods that it's fine with her. Then Scott says, "We have that game tonight though. It's quarterfinals. And it's your first game." Stiles rolls his head around on his neck to work out a kink and says, "I know, I know. Look, do you have a plan for Alison yet?"

Scott sighs and says, "She's in my next class." Stiles holds out his hand as though victory is so close and within reach, and then says, "Get the necklace." Scott watches him race up the hall and sighs again while saying, "Right. Get the necklace."

Turning back to Nixie, he says, "I don't know how I'm going to do this." Nixie nods and says, "And I don't know what to tell you Scott. I wish I did. Stiles said remind her of the good times earlier… so I guess try that. I'm not sure how, but I don't see how at this point trying it can hurt us."

Patting him on the shoulder, she says, "I'll be with Stiles the rest of the day most likely. But I'm only a call away if you need me. I'll even hijack Stiles jeep if you need me that quick." Scott smiles a little and says, "Thanks Nix." "Of course."

* * *

Nixie was just about to join Scott and Stiles at lunch, when she heard Scott say, "Jackson's talking to me. He knows I can hear him." Nixie pauses behind them, and then glances up at Jackson. Then she looks back down to Stiles and Scott when Scott says, "Look at me. Talk to me. Say something! Anything!"

Stiles flails around, which at least that bit is normal, but then says, "I've got nothing. My mind's a complete blank." Nixie leans back in fake shock as Scott says, "Your mind's blank? You can't think of something to say?" Stiles winces and says, "Not under this kind of pressure!" Nixie smirks a little and says, "Well, first time for everything."

Scott turns to see her and sighs in relief before asking, "You got anything?" "You want me to launch into a speech about how behind we are on completing your paper, or would you prefer I save that for later and instead give you tips on how to break into Alison's house later? Your choice?" "Alison's house." "Alright then."

She gives him a few pointers on that front, but it doesn't stop Scott from hearing Jackson. Particularly when he starts talking about Alison. So instead, Nixie just stops and says, "Tell me what he's saying Scott."

Scott closes his eyes, trying to concentrate, crushing the water bottle in his hand as he does, and then repeats to her, "I'm gonna destroy any chance you have left with her. And when I'm done with that, I'm gonna get her all alone, and I'm gonna get my hands all over that tight…"

Scott pauses for a moment, not wanting to repeat that part, and then he picks up by saying, "I'm gonna do everything you never got the chance to do, and Scott, she's gonna beg for more. I'll be she likes to get loud. Maybe she's even a…"

When Jackson's voice stops, Scott glances up to see what derailed him. And then his and Stiles' eyes widen when they see that Nixie is no longer at their side. She'd marched across the room, dropped her lunch tray in front of Alison and Lydia, and then walked up to where Jackson was standing.

Lydia, for her part, didn't know what was happening. She just knew that Jackson looked terrified… more so than he usually was when he looked at Nixie.

Next to his ear, Nixie asks, "What were you going to say? You think Alison might be a screamer? Is that what you were going to suggest?" Her hand lands on his hip, squeezing hard, and then she says, "I honestly can't speak to that one. I don't know if Alison is a screamer or not. But I tell you what I do think."

Leaning back enough to meet his eyes before trailing her hand further south, she says, "I bet you are. Are you Jackson? Are you a screamer? If I kick you in the balls right here and now, are you going to scream like a bitch?"

Jackson's whole body is actually trembling, and then Nixie leans closer to his ear again and whispers, "Leave. My boy. Alone. If I have to remind you of that again… your pretty face isn't the only thing you're going to have to worry about me breaking anymore."

And then she leaves him standing there, his face much paler than usual as he takes in her words and what she means.

Moving back to her tray, she doesn't sit down. She reaches out towards Lydia and says, "I need to see your cell phone." Blinking in confusion, Lydia asks, "What? Why?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Cell phone please. Now."

Lydia hands it over, more confused than ever.

Nixie hovers her thumb over the delete button for her contact for a moment, pondering if she really wants to do this.

She hits delete, and then also ensures that Lydia's instragram account is no longer showing them as friends, or her facebook page, or her twitter account. She cuts Lydia's social media life off completely from her own. Not that Nixie had much of one anyway, but now Lydia was most definitely not included in it.

She double checks to make sure her information isn't stored somewhere else, and then tosses the phone back to Lydia and says, "Thanks. Bye."

She's just moved to the end of the table, turning to leave, when Lydia calls out desperately, "Nix?!"

Nixie pauses in her walk, and then sets her tray down again and comes back to Lydia. Leaning across the table, she lifts her gaze to meet Lydia's.

The tears that are welling up there make Lydia gasp. Because that meant Nixie was serious. She wasn't altogether happy about it, but she was serious. She was cutting Lydia off.

And to further cement that, Nixie simply says, "Only my real friends get to call me Nix. Since you no longer are… you will refrain from calling me that anymore." Nixie spares Alison the most fleeting of glances, and then moves back to her tray and picks it up again. Joining the boys again, wiping at her eyes as she sits across from them to make sure she doesn't cry, she sighs and then looks up at the boys.

Both stare at her for half a second more, and then Stiles returns to his food and says, "So… immediately after school, and I do mean _immediately_ , we're heading to my house. No time to lose if I want to have any chance of attending the game tonight." Nixie nods and says, "On it. Still no idea why you need me." "Danny likes you better than any other girl in the school, alright. If I can't convince him, you have to." "Right."

She starts eating her food, shoving some of it into her mouth and struggling to not cry again.

Lydia was a force to be reckoned with. Lydia was fake almost ninety percent of the time. Lydia was spiteful and conniving. Lydia was a jerk to Scott and Stiles so often that it honestly shouldn't have taken this long for Nixie to just cut her off and be done with her.

But Lydia had been the only girl friend that Nixie had considered real, aside from Alison, and that obviously wasn't sticking unless she got back together with Scott. Lydia was the one she went shopping with, and even though shopping wasn't her favorite thing, it had been more enjoyable with Lydia around. Lydia was the only person Nixie knew that was smarter than she was, which Nixie had always appreciated when she wanted someone to challenge something she was saying or thinking. Lydia… Lydia had become Nixie's best friend.

And now she couldn't be anymore. She couldn't just stay friends with Lydia, not while she kept treating Scott and Stiles like this.

That didn't mean it didn't still hurt. What was it that Scott had said? He looked at Alison and it felt like he'd been hit in the ribs with a hammer. Nixie felt similar. Except she didn't feel so much hit and bruised as she felt like… like she had now lost something that she desperately wanted back, but didn't know how to find.

She jumps a little when Scott's hand reaches across the table to gently grab hers. Squeezing gently, he says, "I'm sorry Nix. I'm so sorry." Nixie smiles tremulously at him, and then says, "Not your fault Scott. It's all on her." "I know. Doesn't mean I'm not sorry. She meant a lot to you, whether you really ever intended for her to or not."

Nixie nods after a moment, and then takes a deep breath and says, "Let's just hurry up and be done with this day. I'm tired of being here." Scott nods and Stiles says, "Put your bike in the jeep after school. I'll drive." "Thanks."

* * *

Nixie walks into the room behind Stiles and asks, "So… what exactly are we…" Then Noah shouts up the stairs, "Stiles?"

Stiles and Nixie both turn to glance at the door, and as soon as Nixie sees Derek in the corner, she slaps a hand back to cover Stiles mouth. And sure enough, she hears Stiles mumble a startled 'Derek' beneath her hand. Removing her hand from in front of his mouth, she jumps when she hears Noah coming up the stairs.

Derek looks about to hiss something, but Nixie holds up hands at both of them to stop either from speaking. Then she grabs Stiles by the back of his jacket and says, "Go!" "And what?" "Talk to him. He has something to say to you so go and don't let him come in here!"

Stiles scrambles for the door, and Nixie waits on the other side, listening carefully as Stiles and Noah converse outside, she can't help but smile when Noah says he'll be at Stiles first game, and that he's glad and very proud of Stiles.

Stiles bobbles it a little, not that that's an unusual occurrence, and then he hugs his dad before Noah heads back down the stairs. Nixie hears Stiles thump his head against the door before he comes back in.

And then she has to jump in between Derek and Stiles so Derek doesn't try to do something stupid… like pin Stiles against a wall. Derek presses up against the hand and forearm that Nixie puts in front of him, crowding into her space, but he doesn't press further. Instead he just points around her and says to Stiles, "If you say one word…"

Stiles throws up his hands and asks, "Like what? Oh you mean like, 'Hey dad, Derek Hale's in my room. Bring your gun?'" Nixie turns to look at him with a raised eyebrow, to which Stiles shrugs, but then says, "Yeah, that's right. If I'm harboring your fugitive ass, it's my house, my rules buddy."

Derek stares at him for a moment, honestly slightly impressed with the normally spastic kid.

Then he notes the slight quiver to the arm still pressed against his chest. Glancing down at Nixie, he can see her still straining against him, still attempting to hold him back. She wasn't giving up… but her arm was getting tired.

Finally, he nods to Stiles, and then leans back while gripping Nixie's arm gently. Pulling her to stand up straight with him, he reaches for her shoulder and gingerly squeezes it, testing how sore she might be. She doesn't react, but that doesn't change the fact that it hadn't been so long ago that it had been dislocated.

Stiles smirks at him and is about to walk off all macho, when Derek fakes a lunge at him, and Stiles quickly ducks and says, "Oh my God!"

And Nixie can't help but start laughing. Stiles couldn't have provided a better comic relief for the moment even if he'd tried to on purpose. Relaxing her stance, she then looks up at Derek when he asks, "Scott didn't get the necklace?"

Stiles sits down at his desk again and says, "No. He's still working on it. But there's something else we can try." Nixie nods, and when Derek looks to her for explanation, she says, "The night we were all trapped in the school, Scott sent a text to Alison, asking her to meet him there." Derek looks from her to Stiles, and then back to her and shrugs before saying, "I don't follow." Stiles leans forward and says, "So, it wasn't Scott that sent the text." Nixie nods and adds, "So we need to figure out who sent the message to Alison in the first place."

Derek nods finally, and then asks, "And you two can do that?" Nixie sighs and says, "Alas, I am not yet trained on the ways of tracking who sent messages from other people's phones and IP addresses and such." Stiles smiles gently at her, and then says to Derek, "But we're pretty sure we know somebody who can."

So as Stiles gets on making sure Danny is coming over to, 'help with lab work', Nixie turns to Derek again.

The man freezes for a moment when she slaps him upside the head. And as he slowly lifts his gaze to look at her, she crosses her arms and says, "You still have not called me back."

And then, just as quickly, she launches at him and wraps her arms around him.

Derek wasn't used to being hugged. As he'd gotten older, he'd become the person he was today… and no one really felt like hugging someone who gave off, as Nixie always said… a stalker vibe.

But Nixie apparently didn't care, and here she was, hugging him tightly. And then she sighs and says, "I'm really, really, really glad you're not dead."

When his hands finally land on her back, hugging her in return, she relaxes a little more into the hug. Derek swears all the tension he'd had built up before leaves his body, simply because she was apparently willing it to go somewhere else. And it had been so long… so long since he'd felt anything even remotely close to that.

When Stiles turned back to look at them, Derek still hadn't let her go. Stiles watches Nixie for a moment, and then just turns back to his computer, opting for ignoring them at the moment.

Derek finally does pull back after a moment, and when Nixie finally looks up to his face again, he sighs and says, "I am sorry for not calling you back. I honestly hadn't listened to any of the messages until really late last night. I'm not… good about that." Nixie nods, and then says, "You need to get better though. You're on my radar now. You have my number and I told you the rule." "The rule was for Scott." "Yeah, well, then you nearly died and gave me a heart attack. So now the rule is for you as well. Call me. For anything. And if you don't, I'll hit you in the head again."

Derek ponders for a moment, and then asks, "With a bat?" "No… but I will hit you." Derek then offers her the smallest of grins before nodding and whispering just for her to hear, "Yes ma'am."

Her answering smile was worth the courtesy he usually didn't extend to any other woman aside from his mother, who had been dead for ten years. Then she moves over to the bed, hopping on it and asking, "When's Danny coming?" Stiles turns to her and says, "Any second now."

When Danny does arrive and Stiles explains what they want him to do, Danny rolls his eyes in exasperation and says, "I came here to do lab work. That's what lab partners do." Stiles huffs in his own aggravation and says, "And we will, once you trace the text." "And what makes you think I know how?"

Stiles goes silent at that, so Danny turns to Nixie for explanation. He knows, at the very least, that Nixie won't lie to him. And true to form, Nixie just shrugs and says, "Stiles looked up your arrest report." Danny's eyes widen, and then he says to Stiles, "I was thirteen! They dropped the charges!" Stiles holds up his hands in a helpless gesture, but Danny says, "No… we're doing lab work."

As Stiles brings up the program and wracks his brain for another way to convince Danny, the boy glances back to where Derek is sitting, and then asks, "Who's he again?" Stiles glances back at Derek and then says, "Um… my cousin… Miguel… Sanchez… Rivera… Alav…." Nixie moves and squeezes Stiles shoulder tight, a sign to stop, and then looks at Danny and says, "Cousin Miguel. Let's just stick with the simple part of his name."

Danny grins at her and nods, and then Nixie moves back to the bed as he asks, "Is that… blood on his shirt?"

Nixie and Stiles both look to Derek, who for his part remains sitting with a look of complete disinterest on his face. Nixie, however, can see the tension in his shoulders returning. He wasn't entirely confident in Stiles' ability to bullshit his way out of most situations.

Nixie had more experience witnessing such bullshit specialties, and grinned ever so slightly when Stiles answers, "Yeah… yes. Well, he gets these horrible nosebleeds." Nixie sees Derek freeze altogether at that explanation, and she has to start fiddling with her fingers aimlessly to try and keep from laughing.

Then Stiles says, "Hey Miguel. I thought I told you that you could borrow one of my shirts." Derek slowly lifts his gaze to Stiles, and then slams the book shut that he hadn't even really been reading. As the boys turn back to the computer, Nixie's shoulders are shaking slightly.

That's when the book is flopped down directly in front of her on the bed. Looking up from where she's lying on her stomach right now, she meets Derek's gaze evenly. He raises an eyebrow at her, and Nixie swears that she understands exactly what it means. It means she's in trouble if she doesn't stop laughing at the situation.

She bites her lip and really tries. But once he takes his shirt off, and Nixie once again can't deny that Derek is a fine specimen of the male species. Anyways, the point currently, is that Danny can't stop staring at Derek. And as soon as Stiles figures that out, he begins using it to his advantage.

Derek has just slipped on a stripped blue and orange shirt, and Stiles says loudly, "Oh… hey… that one looks pretty good, right? What do you think Danny?" "Huh?" "The shirt."

It so did not. And as Stiles looks to Danny expectantly for an answer, Danny says, "Um… it's really not his color." And as Derek turns back to the drawers and takes off the shirt again, Stiles turns back to Danny and says, "You swing for a different team, but you still play ball, don't you, Danny boy?" Danny glances at him and says, "You're a horrible person." "I know, it keeps me awake at night. Anyway… about that text."

Derek turns around and says, "Stiles!" Stiles turns back to Derek, who says, "None of these fit."

Which means Derek is staying shirtless for a while. Which means it will make Danny very happy. Which means…

Danny is still on the fence, until Nixie collects herself for a moment and says, "Danny." He turns to her, and Derek relaxes a little as he makes a note of how easily Danny gave his attention back to Nixie. The boy hadn't diverted his attention from Derek's chest since he'd taken the shirt off, until Nixie said his name.

She really was something special.

Nixie then leans forward, sitting up on the edge of the bed, and she says, "It's… it's really important Danny. I swear to you it is. And we wouldn't be asking you to help us with it if it weren't. I promise. I wouldn't let Stiles do that to you."

Danny stares at her for a moment more, and then cuts his eyes back in Derek's direction meaningfully.

And Nixie knows she's probably going to be in so much more trouble for this, but confirms with a nod that she will do what she can to keep Derek shirtless. Derek sees her nod and narrows his eyes at her, but is at least relieved when Danny finally says, "I'll need the ISP, the phone number, and the exact time of the text."

Stiles raises his arms behind his back in victory while Danny gets to work.

Derek tries on another shirt, and then freezes for a moment when Nixie says, "No… that one's really not you either Derek. Maybe try the closet."

Danny smirks and glances at her with an appreciative grin. Derek slowly turns his gaze to Nixie, who simply shrugs while keeping a completely straight face. But he could hear her pulse racing, could see the slightly shiver in her shoulders as she struggled with not laughing. And as he continued to stare at her, she took to biting her lip hard to try and keep it all contained.

Derek narrows his eyes at her, but pulls off the shirt and goes in search of another one. And he does this five other times, before Danny calls Nixie over to the computer to look with them. And in a soft whisper, he says, "Thanks." "That's what I'm here for Danny."

He chuckles at her and continues working. Nixie asks, "So… what exactly are you doing?"

He explains it to her as best he can, what website he's using and what systems he's going through to get the information he wants.

Nixie watches him attentively, right up until Derek's hand lands on her lower back. She moves to stand up straight, and Derek's hand moves around to grip her hip.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was silently saying. She wasn't to move or leave any time soon. She sent him a warning look of her own, but at the moment, he didn't seem worried.

Probably because she knew that she'd been a little mean to him while Danny was working. But hey… it was in the interest of figuring this shit out. That had to count for something. Right?

Danny finally announces, "There. This computer was sent from a computer. This one." He points it out on the screen, and as they all lean in closer to see it, Derek asks, "Registered to that account name?" But before Danny even answers, Stiles says, "No, no, no, no… that can't be right."

Because the account that it's registered to… is Melissa McCall.

Derek's hand against Nixie is no longer constricting. Because he felt her seize up the moment she read the name. Her eyes bore into the computer screen for a moment, as though if she did long enough she could change the name she was seeing. Derek's hand against her back rubbed up and down in what he hoped was a soothing gesture, trying to get her to relax and come back to them.

Finally, Stiles and Danny stand up and begin to head out of the room. And even though Derek knows Nixie is having a moment right now, trying to wrap her head around Melissa's name being on the account, he puts his arm in front of her, hand on her hip again, and says, "You stay."

She looks up at him, and then to Stiles and Danny and says, "We'll catch up you guys. Miguel needs a little help understanding a piece of the text." Derek wonders at first how that's a valid excuse… until Danny asks, "Helping him with a paper too?" Nixie smiles and says, "My abilities are becoming famous. I'm going to have to start charging soon. Not you of course though."

Danny smiles and says, "Thanks for your help on the extra credit paper by the way. I really needed that. And I aced it, just like you said." "No problem at all Danny."

As soon as they're gone, Derek shuts the door behind them, and then says, "Both of you are in trouble." "I figured as much. But we needed Danny's help and… well, it worked didn't it?" Derek turns to her and says, "Yes, it did. Which is why you're both in trouble, and not dead." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Whatever. You…"

As he was approaching her again, she'd been braced for him to berate her or even shove her backwards towards the wall behind her.

She hadn't been ready, yet again, for him to wrap a hand around the back of her neck and drag her lips to meet his again.

This time she struggles instantly, until Derek finally lets go. His eyes flash blue at her, and he says, "You owe me." "I don't owe you that! And I told you to never do that again! So what…" "What's the big deal anyway. It's a kiss. And you do owe me. And it…"

"It was my first kiss you asshole."

Derek pauses at that, letting her go so she can put space between them. Wiping at her mouth again, she practically growls in her own aggravation, and then meets his confused gaze. "What?" Derek stares a moment more, and then asks, "How have you never been kissed before?"

Nixie blinks back at him in her own confusion now, and then says, "Because I'm weird, and everyone knows it. I'm loyal to Scott and Stiles, and up until recently, they got picked on a lot if I wasn't around to stop it. I'm not the girl that guys want to date. I don't dress up or wear a whole lot of make up ever, if at all. I'm not some damsel in distress, and I'd as soon kick a man in the balls before I'd willingly let him do… do… well, do what you just did."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she runs a hand through her hair and sighs before saying, "I… I know it sounds stupid. And so much like something a high school, teenage drama queen would say. And maybe it shouldn't matter. And later on in life, I probably won't give a shit that you happened to be my first kiss. But right now… it matters to me. And I can't even explain to you why it matters so much, but it does. I mean… I wanted it to mean something. More than just you kissing me because you were dying and then you doing it again because 'I owe you'."

She uses quotation marks around the last bit, and then sighs and says, "So pick something else. Because yeah, I owe you. But I don't owe you anymore of that."

Silence surrounds them for a while, and then Nixie glances at Derek when he places his hands gently on her knees. He's bent down in front of her now, eyes more tender than she's ever seen them. She wonders why he can't manage to look at anyone else that way. Of course, no one else had given him much reason to as of late… but still.

He squeezes her knees gently, tenderly, and then says, "Close your eyes." She squints at him and asks, "Why?" "Please."

She sighs, but then does it. She feels his hands move, one coming up to cup the back of her neck, his thumb resting just in front of the lobe of her left ear. His other hand rests at her side, his grip there firm, but also gentle. He wasn't holding her still this time. He was just holding her.

And this time, when his lips land on hers… it's gentle and slow, and she has all the time in the world to wonder if she wants to respond to him or not.

And she does. Her hands fumble for a moment, unsure of what to do. She finally finds purchase by wrapping her arms around his neck, securing herself closer to him. Her movement briefly dislodges his hand from the back of her neck, but Derek doesn't miss the small sound of disappointment when he had to let go. So he rearranged his arm so he could grab her there again, tiling her head and controlling the kiss just enough to give her guidance on how to hold herself and on what to do.

When they were finally finished, Derek pulling away from her and gently planting one final soft kiss to her lips, Nixie opens her eyes and asks, "Why?" Derek meets her gaze, and then says, "Because you deserve something special for your first." And then he adds, as though mystified himself, "I'm not even sure how I know that… but I do."

Nixie nods, and then smiles when Derek reaffirms, "But we're still not a couple." "Obviously. Either I'd eventually end up killing you, or you'd end up killing me. We'd be compatible for all of ten seconds, and then the war would begin."

Derek grins slightly at that, and then stands up and extends a hand for her. Helping her to her feet, he says, "Come on. Let's go make sure Stiles isn't doing something else stupid. He still owes me by the way. Be braced for that." "Be braced for the head slap that will follow if I deem it necessary."

* * *

On the other end of Stiles phone, which he has put on speaker, Scott asks, "Did you get the picture?" Stiles nods and says, "Nixie's looking at it."

She studies the picture that Scott sent to them all of a second more, and then nods to Derek and says, "And it looks just like the drawing your sister had."

Grabbing Stiles wrist, maybe a tiny bit too tightly, Derek says into the phone, "Hey, is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something. An inscription, and opening, something."

Scott sighs and says, "No, no the thing is flat. And no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it… nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here. You're first line!"

Nixie watches as Stiles' face falls a little. He already knew that, and he already knew that he wouldn't get to play at all if he didn't get there to start, being first line and all. Leaning forward, Nixie says into the phone, "Thank you Scott for that illuminating if not obvious speech about lacrosse. But… lives are at stake, yours included, and since playing lacrosse isn't going to help us save anyone, we end up here."

Scott sighs and says, "I'm sorry. And hey… if you need me, I can…" Nixie smiles a little, and then says, "We're already three total. Probably shouldn't bombard this place any more than that." Stiles nods, and then sighs and says, "Listen, Scott. If you see my dad, can you tell him… just tell him…"

Nixie pats his shoulder and says, "Say he got held up but he's coming and is just going to be late Scott. If we need to make something up after that, we can blame me." Stiles looks and her and says, "Nix…" "What? We don't blame me for anything usually. He'll go easy on me. Worst case scenario, he'll finally force me to sit down and have this talk about stand-in guardians or whatever."

Scott agrees, and as Stiles hangs up and sighs, Derek looks at them both and says, "You're not going to make it." Nixie gives him a look that clearly says, 'no shit'. Then Derek adds, "And you guys didn't tell him about his mom either." Stiles sighs and says, "Not till we find out the truth." Nixie nods, and when Derek raises an eyebrow at her, she shrugs and says, "What? Look, Scott's been jumping to conclusions left and right lately. He's stressed enough as it is. We don't need to add him freaking out about his mom being the phone carrier until we're sure she's even aware of the new phone on her plan."

They're all quiet for a moment as they look at the Beacon Long Term Facility wing of the hospital.

Then Derek says, "By the way, one more thing." Stiles asks, "Yeah?"

And then his head is slammed down against the steering wheel. Holding a hand to his head, Stiles exclaims, "Oh God! What the hell was…" Derek just points and says, "You know what that was for. Now go. Go!"

He's slapped in the back of the head harder than he expected to be, and then Nixie leans forward to look over Stiles' face. Nodding, she says, "You're not bleeding and not bruised yet. You'll be fine. Go ahead."

Appeased with that, Stiles scrambles out and heads for the doors.

Once he's gone, Derek says, "You hit me harder than I thought you would. You agreed that he owed me." "Yeah, but not a concussion. You have werewolf strength dude, and he has a human skull. What if you'd cracked it?" "I wouldn't…" "And how am I supposed to know that you have that much control over the power you exert."

Pointing at him now, she says, "Be careful with my very human and very important Stiles. I will beat you to pulp if you injure him beyond repair." Derek concedes to that, but sighs and says, "And this is why we'd never work out." "Because I'm right and you refuse to acknowledge it in words?"

And in spite of how annoying he thinks she still is at times, he does grin at that.

They don't get to talk more though, because Stiles calls and says, "So… I can't find anybody here." Frowning, Nixie puts the phone on speaker and asks, "Come again?" "Nobody… there's no one here."

Derek says, "Ask for Jennifer, she's been looking after my uncle." "Dude, no one's here! No front desk person to ask for 'Jennifer'. And even if there was, your uncle isn't here either."

Nixie and Derek look at each other, and then Derek asks, "What?" Stiles, from inside, nods and says, "Yeah, he's not here. He's gone, Derek."

More confused than ever, Nixie says to Stiles, "He can't just be gone Stiles. Are you sure? The man can't move on his own. Someone would have to be there with him. Is the wheelchair gone?" "No, but…"

Derek snatches the phone and says urgently, "Stiles, get out of there right now! It's him! He's the alpha! Get out!"

Hanging up, Derek points at Nixie and says, "Stay here."

But as he slams his door shut on the way out, Nixie is right behind him. He gives her a hard stare, but she just glares back and says, "It's my boy in there and I'll settle for killing your uncle just as easily if he lays a hand on Stiles. Now quit wasting time and move!"

They walk in right as Stiles is saying, "Oh my God! I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die!"

Derek keeps Nixie behind him while knocking the nurse Jennifer in the face with his elbow. And Nixie is glad he used his werewolf strength for that, because if she ends up with a cracked skull, Nixie couldn't care less.

And Peter, who is apparently very far from catatonic, says, "That's not nice. She's my nurse." Nixie looks around Derek and says, "She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people." Derek glares at his uncle, and then says to Stiles, "Get out of the way." Stiles looks between Derek and Peter, and then says, "Ah Damn."

He crouches down and scurries over to Nixie, who finds herself pushed considerably further back. Derek's arm moved faster than she could blink and shoved her, though as gently as he could, as far away from where this fight was about to take place.

But even with his face still burned, and even though he's still technically healing… Peter wipes the floor with Derek. He gets in one or two good punches, and then Peter knocks him down again.

Nixie grabs Stiles and says, "Get to the jeep. Now!"

He sprints out the doors at her command. Nixie then looks around for something to fight with… settling on a scalpel she finds in one of the drawers behind the desk.

That's when Peter finds her, tilting his head ever so slightly. "And who might you be?" Nixie glares and stabs him in the shoulder without answering. Peter only seems slightly fazed, and that's more because she actually managed to hit him than the actual pain involved.

Pulling the scalpel out, he reaches out and pushes against her chest. It feels like a punch though, and she ends up sailing back across the hall and behind the counter, falling on the glass that Derek had already flown through earlier.

Groaning, Nixie tries to sit up, but feels someone grabbing her arms. She struggles briefly, until she figures out it's Derek, and then grabs onto him too and says, "Come on. We have too…"

But Peter blocks their path. Derek forces Nixie behind him and growls at Peter.

Peter tilts his head slightly, and then asks, "And what is she to you?" "A friend."

They stare at each other for a long time, and then Peter says, "Well… I'll let her go… if you give me a chance to explain Derek. You have too. We're family."

Nixie puts a hand on Derek's back and whispers, "No. Come on. We can get…" "No… we can't."

Turning to her, he says, "Get to Stiles. Get out of here. Go now." "Derek…" "Nixie… do it now."

She stares at him for a moment, and Derek thinks that it's possibly fear he sees in her eyes. Not afraid of him… but afraid for him.

But she listens. She walks around him and towards the doors past Peter.

She pauses beside him though, and when Peter turns to look at her, she glares at him while pointing to Derek.

And Derek takes it in with a sense of pride he hasn't felt in a long time when she says to Peter, "If you hurt him, hell will feel like a picnic compared to what I do to you." Then she glances back at Derek and says, "And you had better damn well call me at some point to let me know you're still alive. Otherwise, I start plotting his death."

She meets Stiles at the jeep, telling him to just start heading for the school. They need to talk to Scott. "But… what…" "Derek went with Peter so he could try to explain. It was the only way Peter would agree to let me go."

Rubbing at her chest, she sighs and says, "Asshole shoved me clear down the hall. We're going to need some serious firepower when it comes to dealing with him." "Like what?"

"Like one of Lydia's Molotov Cocktails, except one that actually works this time."

* * *

Chapter 9! Woohoo! Hope you're enjoying the story and how Nixie is involved with it. Let me know. And Chapter 10 will hopefully be posted soon. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 10: Episode 1x10

"By the way McCall…"

Scott turns to where Danny is getting dressed and ready to leave. They won the game, they were going to state; and it should totally be a great night and one to celebrate.

But Scott can't find Nixie or Stiles right now. They never showed up to the game. He has to figure out what that means and where they went.

Sighing, but pulling himself together, he gives Danny a look of wonder, asking silently what it is that he wants. Danny just grins and says, "Apology accepted."

Blinking in confusion, Scott says, "I didn't apologize." "Every time you got the ball tonight, you passed it to me."

Oh yeah, he had. Though he hadn't really thought it would be that obvious at the time. Shrugging, trying to play it off, Scott says, "Every time I passed it to you, you scored."

Danny slings his bag over his shoulder, and smirks again before saying, "Apology accepted."

Scott smiles back at him, and then is getting ready to dress too, when Danny says, "You're really lucky you know." Turning back to him, Scott asks, "How?" Danny just smiles again and says, "Nixie, man. That you have her the way you do. You're lucky. Because I don't even have her… but when I was with her earlier today, I still felt like that woman would climb mountains for me if I asked."

Nodding to Scott again, he says, "And if I feel that way, I sure I can't imagine half of what she'd be willing to do for you. You're lucky man."

Scott smiles again and says, "Yeah, I know. Thanks." "See you around McCall."

And of course, that is when all hell breaks loose.

* * *

Stiles nearly falls down on his way into the locker room. Everyone else was gone now, but Scott's bike was still there at the school, so they knew he was still inside.

Nixie rolls her eyes as she follows in more calmly behind him while Stiles says to Scott, "Dude, we have a huge problem."

"Trust me. I know."

For a moment Scott still doesn't move, but he finally looks up when Nixie bends down in front of him. She just stares at him for a moment, and then says gently, "Finish getting dressed Scott. You fill us in first on the way home. We'll go after you."

He does as she says, and when he gets back outside, she's already loaded his bike into the back portion of Stiles' jeep. Sliding into the passenger seat with them, he waits for Stiles to start driving, and then sighs and says, "First… Jackson is giving me seventy-two hours to give him what he wants, which is the bite. I've confirmed that now. And he's also trying to piss me off by saying that if I give it to him in time, he'll help me get Alison back, and if I don't he's going to take her to the winter formal."

Nixie makes a note that at some point in the near future, she's going to break Jackson's nose. She's not even going to threaten him before doing it. He'll already know at least one reason why she's breaking his perfect face, and when she does it, maybe he'll take it a little more seriously.

Scott then says, "Second… the alpha is Peter, Derek's uncle. They came to see me after the game. And…"

"They?" Scott turns to look at Nixie, and then nods and says, "Both of them. Derek is on Peter's side now. And before you ask, yes, I reminded him about the fact that Peter killed Laura. Derek said that's been explained as an accident." "An accident?!"

Scott nods and says, "Thank you so much for having the same reaction to that as I did. But Derek swears that it happens, at least with their kind. Something about Peter's mind still being out of whack or something because of the fire. Anyway… Peter still wants me to kill all of you, and he wants me to help him kill everyone responsible for the fire. And he knows about Alison. That I'm in love with her, I mean."

Nixie, fuming in the backseat now, asks, "How does Peter know about Alison?" "Derek told him."

And as Stiles fills in Scott on what happened with them that night, Nixie sends a text message to Derek's phone.

He's not with Peter when he sees it, so Peter doesn't get to feel the sense of loss that started to sink into Derek's bones when he read…

" _You helped him hurt Scott. You told him about Alison. You're taking the side of a psychotic, murderous, evil alpha. One that would've killed me and Stiles if you hadn't left with him. So the only reason you aren't already on my hit list, is because you probably saved me and Stiles lives._

 _But if you help him hurt either of my boys, or anyone else I care about… I'm going to end you._

 _Don't you dare fucking call me. Asshole."_

* * *

As Lydia and Alison are walking through the woods, Alison with her bow and quiver, Lydia in her high heels, Lydia says, "You know, Alison, when you said you needed to stop for an errand before we went shopping, a five-mile hike in the woods was not what I was expecting."

Alison rolls her eyes, but then says, "Before I forget, I wanted to ask if you were okay with something. Jackson asked me to the winter formal."

Lydia nearly trips and falls when she hears that, but quickly recovers and asks, "Did he?" "Yeah. Just as friends. But I just wanted to make sure you're okay with it first." Lydia takes a moment to consider that, knowing that she can't really afford to lose Alison as a friend right now. She'd already lost Jackson and Nixie. She couldn't really lose another one at this point. So she says reluctantly, "Sure. As long as it's just friends."

And Lydia does stop in her tracks for a moment when Alison laughs a little and says, "Well, yeah, I mean… It's not like I would take him to the coach's office during lacrosse practice to make out with him or anything." "Uh… about that…"

Alison glances back at her briefly, and then says, "Nixie told me."

Because Nixie had. It was a very long winded text message on her phone that detailed how while Lydia was telling Alison one thing about that night at the school, she had told Scott something else altogether. Lydia had been playing with them, was what the text ended up explaining.

And then of course, it told Alison that Nixie didn't want Alison to call her about it, or for anything else unless it was an emergency. Which told Alison that she was in very dangerous territory of being exactly where Lydia was now… Nixie-less.

Alison hasn't even known Nixie for more than a couple months now… but she can already feel the void that is the place where she used to stand. Nixie was usually somehow always there when you needed her to be. Sometimes without you even asking her to be there. And now… because Alison was still hanging out with Lydia, Alison could also feel more of what life would be like without Nixie as a friend.

Nixie had said from the beginning that she would be an impossibly hard friend to replace. Now Alison knew that she'd been one-hundred percent right when she'd said that.

So Alison knew she just had to be patient. Something would happen that would make it possible for them to be good friends again, she just knew it.

Until then, she had Lydia… who was for once being quiet and not being a force to be reckoned with, considering Alison was now aware that Lydia had made out with Scott.

Lydia was going to have to make that up to her, and Alison had an idea of just how she was going to get Lydia to do that.

* * *

Scott, from the backseat of the jeep the next day, asks, "Is driving so fast really necessary?"

Nixie was behind the wheel, and Stiles was wearing his seatbelt for once as she flew down the road in his baby. Patting the dashboard, as though that would hold her together, Stiles agrees, "Yeah, is it? I mean… we don't like Jackson… right?" Nixie gives them both a look and says, "Your jeep will be fine. And yes, we need to go this fast, before Argent does something stupid enough to make me want to hurt him too."

As they squeal down the ramp and then into the open space next to Jackson's car, Stiles and Scott both end up leaning forward and then landing back in the seat. Sighing in relief that they're done driving for the moment, Stiles then turns with a grin towards Chris and Jackson and says, "What's up?"

Scott leans forward, looking at them as well, and then asks, "Everything okay?"

Chris, nods to Scott, but then looks to Nixie in the front seat, who had yet to take her eyes off the road in front of her. Taking a breath, he says smoothly, "Hey Scott. Your friend was just having car trouble. We're just taking a look."

The bark of harsh laughter from the driver's seat pulls all their attention that way, and Chris can see Nixie's hands on the wheel, squeezing so tightly that her knuckles are turning white.

She was pissed. Probably at him. Damn it.

Stiles turns back to them, glancing at the car, and says, "Wow. Tough break." Scott then adds, "There's a shop right down the street. I'm sure they have a tow truck." Stiles nods, "Yeah. You want a ride?"

Jackson hesitates as Stiles and Scott move to let him get in. Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Come on Jackson, you're way to pretty to be out here all by yourself."

Jackson still hesitates, Chris' hand still near the back of his neck, and at this point, it kind of feels more threatening than anything else.

That's when Nixie finally turns her gaze from the road, and Chris' hand and whole body actually leans away from Jackson at the glare he sees there. Then Nixie turns to Jackson and says, "Get in the jeep."

He finally nods and moves towards them, until Chris says, "Guys…"

He cranks Jackson's car with no problems, and then says to Jackson, "Told you I knew a few things about cars."

Then he looks at Nixie and says, "Nixie… I know the boys probably have other places to be, but would you mind coming with me for a bit. I'm sure Alison would love to see you. And I can get you home afterwards as well."

Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "I'm hanging out with my boys today." Chris nods and says, "Alison… could use a friend right now."

She stares at him all of a moment longer, and then looks to Stiles and Scott. Whispering, she says, "Deal with the pretty boy jackass. Try to make him understand this is serious." Then to Scott, she says, "I'll try to see if Alison's opinion of you can be swayed now. She knows what Lydia did… maybe that'll help." Scott nods his appreciation, and then Nixie hops out and walks over to Chris' car.

He tries to move to the passenger seat, maybe to open her door for her, when she says, "Just get in and drive Argent. Sooner we leave and get to your house, sooner I don't have to deal with you."

As they take off down the road, Chris says, "You're not very subtle with your anger." "I never have been." Glancing at her, he asks, "So, I'm Argent now?" "What was your first clue?" "Nix…" "Only friends get to call me that. We're not friends." "Fine. Nixie. What do you want me to do, huh?" "Not be an ass for starters." "I'm not being an ass!"

He actually pulls over on the side of the road and Nixie turns to look at him when he does. Leaning towards her, he says, "I… I have a code. I do everything by this code. It's a way of life, and it's a necessary one. I…" "Bull shit."

He blinks, and then Nixie leans closer to him. "Argent… you're little code is fucked up. If it has you tampering with teenagers' cars so you can get them all alone to threaten them and question them. If it has you bashing in innocent peoples' windows."

Chris watches as her eyes actually take on a sad quality as she adds, "If it has me calling you Argent instead of Chris… it's fucked up. And you should seriously reconsider it."

Leaning back into her seat, she sighs and says, "I can respect a man with a code. Just not when it's fucked up."

Silence for a moment, and then Chris starts the car again and pulls back onto the road. And he lets it remain silent for a while.

Then Nixie says, "I have a code too Argent. What's yours?"

He glances at her, and then says, "We hunt those who hunt us."

Nixie nods, and then sighs when he asks, "What's yours?"

"Family… above all else. You protect your family, no matter what." Turning to look at him, she says, "And I don't mean blood family. I mean the family you choose for yourself."

Nodding back behind them, Nixie says, "Those two boys, my boys… they're my family. I chose them."

Chris nods, and then freezes for a second when she says, "And I will kill, destroy, or beat down anyone that tries to take them away from me." "Kill?" Nodding, she adds, "Painfully, if I can manage it. But yes… kill is on the list of options." "Rather violent."

"Yeah, well, when you're this short, people don't take your threats seriously if you don't make them violent enough."

And Argent can't help but smile a little at that, and he lets the silence reign for the remainder of the trip to his house.

When they get there though, Mrs. Argent says that Alison and Lydia went for a quick hike before they were going to go shopping that evening. Chris sighs and says, "Sorry Nixie. I didn't realize…" But Nixie shrugs and says, "It's alright." "Well… here, let me get you…"

But Nixie's phone rings, and on the other end, Stiles says, "Hey! My dad is here, and he's got case files all over the dining room table. And I need help getting him to talk to me about them. Can you…" "On my way." "Thanks!"

Hanging up, she looks at Chris and asks, "Think you can drop me off at Stiles' house." "Sure."

Just then, Kate walks out the door. Seeing Nixie, she smiles and says, "Ah… one of Alison's friends. Now, I believe we have met once before. You would be…"

Chris doesn't miss how, though Nixie tolerated his presence and would speak to him civilly if she stuck around long enough, Nixie's relaxed posture vanished and her lips turned down in a stern frown upon Kate's appearance.

And before Kate can finish speaking, Nixie says, "I don't like you."

All three adults turn to look at her at that, but Nixie doesn't care. She simply then adds, "So I don't care if you know who I am."

Turning back to Chris' car, she says, "If you need to talk to them a minute, I'll wait."

But Kate calls out, "Why don't you like me? You don't even know me."

Turning back to Kate, Nixie says, "I know enough. It's in your eyes." "My eyes? You can't…"

Alison and Lydia were returning to the house finally, when Alison pauses by the front door and asks softly, "Nixie?"

Lydia jumps to her side as well, and then they both listen as she marches up to Kate and starts talking.

Nixie stares at Kate for a moment, and Kate actually can't believe it when she feels herself becoming unnerved under this freshman's gaze. Then Nixie says, "You find pain fun. You enjoy causing it even. It's all a game to you."

Shaking her head sadly, Nixie says, "I have no time for people who think life is a game. And I certainly have no time for people who I think aren't good to be around my friends. So I don't like you. There's something wrong with you. And I'm fairly certain there's nothing you'll ever do to change my mind on that point."

Kate stares back, and then says, "You can't tell that from a glance." "I can actually. I've been doing it since I was a kid. My mom used to call it a sixth sense. I just know which people are worth or worth getting to know, and I know which ones aren't and which ones to try and keep away from."

Smirking a little, she adds, "And I know which ones are going to become family. That's why I latch on so quickly to people that matter to me. And it's why it hurts so much if I have to consider letting them go."

She turns back to the car, but then pauses when Chris asks, "Is that what you're doing to Alison? Letting her go."

To Alison's relief, she hears Nixie say, "No. Your daughter just isn't family yet. And Alison also happens to still be Lydia's friend, so that makes it more difficult to be around her right now. But no… I'm not letting Alison go."

Chris nods and says, "But you let Lydia go."

The silence between them has Lydia struggling to see Nixie's face. And what she sees there breaks her heart.

Chris had only known her briefly, but he knew that Nixie wasn't really a person who cried a lot, particularly in front of other people. But Lydia… Lydia was still like an open wound for Nixie. It had hurt to let her go. It still hurt, to not have her anymore.

But finally, Nixie nods and says, "Yes. I let Lydia go. I had too." "Why?" Nixie smiles sadly and says, "I could only handle so much of the fake Lydia to begin with. Then fake Lydia started messing with and hurting people who were already family. So… something had to give. And she wouldn't… she wouldn't quit. She wouldn't give. So I had to."

Chris then asks, "And is there any chance that she can fix that?" Nixie shrugs and says, "That's up to her I guess."

She then glances between the three adults, and then asks, "Any other questions, or am I done being interrogated?" Chris chuckles a little and says, "Sorry. Let me get you to your boy."

And he feels a little relieved when Nixie grins at him before sliding back into his car. Nixie didn't like Kate. He'd need to look into the 'why' of that later. But she didn't hate him yet. He had time to get back in her good graces.

Now he just needed to make sure he didn't screw up again. No pressure.

* * *

At Stiles house, Nixie glances from the whiskey bottle to the empty glass on Noah's table, and then hisses at Stiles, "Are you getting him drunk on purpose?" Stiles nods absentmindedly, but then leans forward before turning around to make sure she isn't about to hit him in the head. Holding up his hands, he hisses back, "It got him talking. I mean… look at this."

He shows her the 'mug shot' of Derek that they had, which Nixie tilts her head at and asks, "What the hell is the flare up on the camera?" "His eyes. Derek's blue glowing eyes. It stops them from getting a good picture of him!" Nixie nods and says, "Convenient. What else?" "This! Look."

Stiles hands Nixie some files and says, "The bus driver? He was originally an insurance investigator. He was assigned to the Hale house after the fire. And this… the video store clerk, the one working the night Jackson and Lydia were there? He was a convicted felon. Want to guess what was on his record? Arson. Same as those two bozos that ended up dead after they bugged us in the woods. Both had previous records, both with arson."

Nixie nods as she looks over what he hands her, and then says, "So… maybe they were all involved with the fire." "Exactly! That's what I'm…" He glances back at his inebriated dad, and then says softer, "That's what I was thinking too." Nixie nods, moving so she's between Stiles and his dad at the table. Glancing over everything, she then asks, "Okay, so would there be any reason to go after Laura? I mean…"

Noah slaps her gently on the back and says, "That's one of the questions. So many questions, but that's one of them. She had nothing to do with the fire. So why would Derek go after her? I just… it doesn't make sense."

Nixie stares at him for a second, his words so slurred that it's amazing she can understand what he's saying. Glancing back at Stiles, she says, "You gave him way too much." Stiles nods, already knowing that, and then adds, "And I've already come to the conclusion that I will be spending eternity in the lowest circle of hell for it."

He does smile though when Nixie says gently, "Hell has to go through me first to get you. No worries." "Thanks."

Turning back to Noah, who has grabbed her wrist, Nixie asks, "What?" "The cougar. You remember when it came to the school?" "Yeah." Noah points at her and says, "I checked with animal control. Did you know that occurrences of while animals coming out into the public has shot up by seventy percent in the last few months? It's like… It just doesn't make any sense. Them coming out of the woods on their own."

Nixie nods, and then says to Stiles, "Or something's scaring them out." Stiles nods at that, and then says, "I'm gonna call Scott."

To his dad, Stiles says, "I've got to make a call dad. I'll be right back." Noah looks at him and says, "You know, I miss talking to you. It's like we never have…" "Right back dad. I'm sorry."

Noah sighs and says, "I do. I miss it. And I miss your mom."

Stiles freezes where he's standing, and then turns back around in time to see Nixie catch the glass before it can fall off the table. Back to his dad, he asks, "What? What did you say?" Noah sighs, very drunk, but then says, "I do. I miss her."

Noah's about to pour another glass for himself, when Nixie grabs the bottle gently and helps him lower it back to the table. He sighs again, but smiles softly and says, "Thanks." Nixie gently runs a hand through his hair and says, "You should try to get some sleep Noah."

She helps Stiles get him up the stairs and into bed. And as Stiles removes his boots before pulling a blanket over him, Nixie's phone vibrates and she leaves the doorway to answer it. "Scott?" "He was here!"

Stiles is slowly closing his dad's door, when Nixie motions for him to hurry up while she asks, "Where? Where are you?" "I'm at home! But he's not here now!" "Where did he go?" "He took my mom!"

Nixie freezes for all of a second, and then says to Stiles, "Get your keys. Now."

Stiles runs to his room to grab them, and Nixie says to Scott, "Took her where? Into the woods?" "No… he… he took… he's taking her on a date. But I think he plans on turning her like he did me! Nixie… he can't…"

Nixie nods and says, "We won't let him. Stiles! Get your laptop too!" When Stiles returns, Nixie says, "Pull up the site Danny was using before." It takes him a minute, but Stiles finds it, and then asks, "Okay, what? We can't trace a text or anything…" "No, no, don't click that one. Click here."

She shows him where to go, and then says, "Put Melissa's number in there. Hurry Stiles."

He punches it in, and then leans back in surprise and asks, "Wow. How'd you know how to do that?" "Danny told me as a favor for the paper I helped him with. Now I can find you people even if you don't answer me."

To Scott, she says, "We're following them. Call Stiles' phone and get him to help you find us." "What are you gonna do?"

Snatching the keys from Stiles' hands, she says, "I'm driving."

* * *

"Oh, are you kidding me?! Stiles!"

Melissa shouted at him immediately, being that it was his jeep and all. But as Stiles half fell and half stepped his way out of the passenger seat, Melissa looked over to see that Nixie was the one driving. Eyes widening, Melissa says, "Nixie! You…" "I'm so sorry Melissa. I… I swear I glanced down for one second… and the next thing I knew…"

Melissa groans and then glares at Stiles when he says, "Me, personally, I honestly don't know what happened. I mean… to me it looked like you guys came out of nowhere. Nixie was just…" Melissa shuts him up for a moment with a look and says, "Out of nowhere! We were parked on the side of the road, Stiles! And you…" She points at Nixie and says, "Why were you driving his jeep?" Nixie shrugs and says, "He was taking too long to get to the jeep in the first place. So I took over driving. I'm faster than him."

Glancing at the back of Peter's car, she adds, "Which in hindsight, may not be an excellent excuse right now." Stiles nods, and then says, "So… I guess we should call the cops. Do an accident report and all that?"

Peter walks up to them and says, "I don't think that's necessary." Nixie rubs the back of her neck and says, "Really? I don't know, I'm feeling a little whiplash." Stiles nods and concurs with her, to which Melissa says, "Whiplash? You hit us!"

As Melissa continues berating them, Nixie listens as Peter turns away and whispers, "I know you're there Scott, and I'm impressed. Especially with your girl Nixie. Certainly doesn't take her long to come up with an excuse on the fly does it? It's a shame not all teenagers are that smart. Like your friend… Jackson. He thinks he knows all about us. And you know what they say… about how knowledge is power. Well… not in his case."

Nixie watches as Scott takes off, but she personally isn't going to go after Jackson herself. Scott can warn him. Nixie has to deal with Melissa.

Who is pointing at her again while saying, "And we are having that talk? Where's Noah?" Nixie sighs and says, "He's sleeping. And I'm sure come morning he'll agree with you. For now though, the man really needs his rest. Trust me on that."

Melissa stares at her for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But I'm serious. By the end of the week. We are talking." Nixie nods and says, "Agreed." "Good, now both of you come here."

She hugs them both tightly and sighs before asking, "Are you two okay?" Nixie and Stiles nod, and then Nixie grips Melissa's arm before she can pull away. Stiles leaves her to continue complaining about whiplash to Peter, who can't do anything right now with so man witnesses.

Wrapping a firm arm around Melissa, holding her tight, Nixie says, "You know how protective I am of Scott and Stiles." Melissa nods, and hugs Nixie in turn when Nixie says, "I'm just as protective of you. So please hear me and know that I do not say this to hurt you. I'm trying to keep you safe."

Leaning back from Melissa, she glances in Peter's direction. Then she says, "You need to go home Melissa. Let Stiles take you if that would be better. But you need to go home."

Melissa stares back at her for a long time, and then asks in a soft and sad whisper, "Are… are you sure? I mean… he seemed so…" "Melissa, please trust me. Go home. And if he calls, don't answer. Please."

It takes a moment more, but Melissa nods, and then calls Stiles over to her so she can ask for a ride, apologizing to Peter repeatedly for their bad luck.

Nixie nods to Stiles to just go. The most important thing right now was getting Scott's mom out of here and away from Peter. That's what mattered. And Scott had only left because he'd known Nixie could get it done.

Hell would freeze over before she left Peter alone right now so he could just stalk Melissa back to her house. Nope. Not gonna happen.

Turning to Peter, she leans back against his car and says, "So… accident report? I'm pretty sure you're the one that has to call it in. Since I hit you and all." Peter stares at her for a while, and then moves to stand next to her. Sighing, he says, "Perhaps I chose poorly when I picked Scott to be my first. I mean… in my defense, I was still out of my mind then." "You don't seem to be in your right mind now either."

He smirks a little, and then leans closer to her and says, "Perhaps I should've chosen you. After all… you weren't the one who freaked out so much that you fell down the hill." Nixie nods and says, "I'm also the one who bashed you in the head with a big ass stick. And I'll gladly do it again."

Peter chuckles and says, "I'm stronger now." "I don't care." "Maybe you should. I was careless then. I'm not so careless anymore." "You're desperate."

Peter frowns at that, turning to look at her. But Nixie just shrugs, and then says, "And desperate men always make mistakes." Standing up from the car, she says, "So… if you aren't calling the police, I have places to be." "Such as..." "Literally anywhere you aren't is a place I'd rather be."

Peter chuckles again, and then says, "Yes… I do believe I should've chosen you." "I really don't think it would've worked out for you the way you think." "And why is that?" "Because both of those boys, the one you're trying to kill and the one you're trying to claim… they belong to me. They're my boys."

Coming closer, surprising him with how close she's willing to get, Nixie then says, "And at the rate you're going at them… I would've already killed you myself by now. In the light of day. In the hospital. While there wasn't anything for you to do about it."

Leaning back, Nixie then starts strolling away, but shouts back to Peter, "Leave my boys alone Peter. The water you're stepping into is about to get incredibly dangerous otherwise." "I'll have you know my dear, I'm an excellent swimmer."

And though she's farther away now, he doesn't miss when she grumbles, "You're going to have to be if you want to survive the hurricane I plan on bringing down on your ass."

* * *

On her bike, she hadn't even made it out of town yet, when her phone rang. Picking it up, she says, "Hey Scott. Did you manage to save Jackson's sorry ass?" "Nixie…"

She brakes hard and turns around, heading for one of the bike paths that would eventually get her to the woods and closer to Scott. "Scott? Where are you?" "I… I'm not sure… I'm… I've been shot." "You've been what?!"

Nixie doesn't stop riding her bike down the trail. She keeps on pedaling as she enters the woods. And yes, she knows there's a good chance she's going to flatten her tires out here, but it'll be worth it. "Scott, talk to me. Give me something. What's around you?" "I… I can't… I'm not sure… it's all… it's just…" "Anything Scott. Where were you when you started running?" "Hale house."

Gritting her teeth, she then asks, "And when you started running, which way did you leave the house?" "Out the back, I think." Nixie turns sharply to her right, frightening a rabbit from it's hiding place in a bush, and then pedals straight into the woods in the direction Scott should be in. "Listen Scott. I'm coming okay. You just hang on." "Nixie…" "Yeah?"

"Where's Alison?"

Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "I currently don't know. And look, I know you love her, but don't worry about that right now. Just keep talking to me." "Alison…" "Scott? Scott… Scott!"

She hangs up when he refuses to answer after a full two minutes. Pocketing her phone, she feels her legs begin burning as she continues to push the pedals as fast as she can.

Note to self, Nixie needs to get the motorcycle up and running. Like… yesterday.

She does finally find him though. Lying on the ground, shot to hell, and black ooze and filth leaking from his mouth and wounds. Dropping her bike and scrambling over to him on weak legs, she says, "Scott… hey Scott. Scott, wake up. Come on damn it. Wake up."

His eyes open for the briefest of moments, and he reaches up to touch her face and he says, "Hey… you… I know you." "Obviously you idiot. What the hell happened?" But his eyes shut and he drops down to the ground again. Gritting her teeth, she says, "Scott… you have to wake up."

But he won't. He can't.

Grabbing him under his arms, Nixie does what she can to start dragging him out of the woods. But even if she manages to make it to the road, she isn't sure what good that would do. She's already tried calling Stiles, but he isn't answering. Melissa is probably still giving him a lecture on how he should not ruin peoples' dates by slamming into their cars… even though Stiles wasn't the one driving.

The only other person she even might've called is Derek… and that's not even an option right now. Derek is with Peter. Stupid, hateful, and not even that handsome Peter. Seriously, what did anyone else already see in this guy. Nixie didn't think he looked very nice at all. In fact… he reminded her of Kate. Only worse. Yeah… Peter was definitely worse.

Nixie has managed to drag him a good ways when she pauses upon hearing someone ask, "Nixie?"

Dropping Scott gently to the ground, she moves in front of him protectively, and then asks, "Who's there? Show yourself right now."

She was honestly expecting more resistance. But Deaton just came out from where he'd been hiding a moment ago. Walking up to her, he asks, "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Nixie has no earthly idea what to say. I mean, Stiles at least had suspected him of being the alpha at one point. Could they trust Deaton? Was that smart? What could she tell him? Would he even believe her?

Nixie would've liked more time to think about that, and all the bad repercussions that might occur with saying anything to Deaton at all. But… she didn't have a choice, and she didn't have time. Scott was shot… quite possibly dying from the look of it. And Deaton was here. And even though Stiles had suspected the man of dark secrets… Nixie still looked at him and saw a friend.

And that's what she needed desperately right now. A friend.

Grabbing his arm, she says, "Save him. Please."

* * *

When Scott's eyes finally burst open and he wakes up with a coughing fit, Nixie moves behind his head in a second and gently cradles it in her hands. He relaxes instantly upon seeing her face, and then looks to Deaton when he says, "I wouldn't get up just yet Scott."

He looks around blearily, and then looks up at Nixie and asks, "Where am I?" Nixie shushes him and says, "You're somewhere safe. That's all that matters right now. Okay?"

Scott nods, and Deaton smiles gently at them. Scott had been shot with wolfsbane bullets. And even though Deaton had gotten them out and was fixing him… he had still expected Scott to ask more questions, be more frantic.

But at Nixie's words and at the sight of her, Scott was calm. It was a good thing, in that sense, that Nixie had insisted on staying. Deaton had tried to send her home to rest, but she refused outright, and the look she'd given him was so severe, he didn't dare try to send her away again. Instead, he just pulled a chair up for her from another room, and had her sit at least while she waited for Scott to wake up.

Deaton wipes up some more of the blood, and says, "I've also given him something to speed up the healing process. He should be fine soon." Nixie nods and says, "Thanks Doc." Scott looks over at Deaton and says, "But you're a vet." Deaton nods and adds, "That's very true. And ninety percent of the time, I'm mostly treating cats and dogs."

Scott, still weary, asks, "Mostly?" "Mostly."

Nixie looks up at Deaton, wondering at the mysterious way his voice has changed and at his cryptic answer. But the man's smile is gentle, and she still doesn't feel the need to worry about him hurting Scott. He was helping. He was a friend. He always had been.

Rubbing Scott's temples gently, soothing him what little she could, Nixie says, "Rest Scott. Everything is fine right now. I promise." And with those words of reassurance Scott rested his head back down, and went back to sleep.

Nixie didn't let go of him until Deaton had finished bandaging him up. And when Deaton came back, he had a blanket and a pillow with him. Pulling the chair up closer to Scott's side, he guides her into it and says, "He's going to be alright." "You're sure?"

He smiles gently and says, "Yes. I'm very good at what I do." Nixie nods, and then sighs and says, "I'm not leaving." "I know. Hence the pillow." "And you'll wake me up when he does?" "If he doesn't wake you up himself, yes I'll wake you."

Nodding and relaxing a little, Nixie rests her head on the pillow and says a soft, "Thank you Deaton." "You're welcome dear. Get some rest."

As she falls asleep, Deaton steps up to the windows and glances out at the sky. Storm clouds seemed to be building far outside the edge of town… but they also seemed stuck. It had been happening more frequently as of late. They clouds would build and the skies around the town would darken… but the rain and storms would never actually come.

Putting a hand to his chin, Deaton says softly to himself, "Curious. Very curious indeed."

* * *

Chapter 10! Yay. Chapter 11 and 12 will hopefully be posted tomorrow. (Again, no promises, but I'm going to try.) Hope you're loving the journey as much as I did while writing it. Let me know. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 11: Episode 1x11

When Scott wakes up the next morning, he's briefly terrified. He still doesn't know where he is, or how he got here, or what happened after he collapsed in the woods.

And Nixie isn't above him anymore, which means he was out for a while. What had happened while he was out? Was everyone still okay? His mom? Stiles? Nixie?

He sits up quickly and rolls off the table he's on… and way too quickly at that. He nearly falls down as soon as his feet hit the floor.

That's when he finally sees Deaton, who comes around and says, "Hey. Welcome back to the land of the conscious. You doing okay?" Scott nods, and to Deaton's surprise, he simply asks, "Nixie? Where…"

Nixie dashes in from where she'd been out front, phone in her hand at her ear. Apparently she'd just been on it when she heard Deaton start talking.

She'd gotten a good four hours of solid sleep. She considered it good anyway. Then she woke up and went back to worrying over Scott. And since it was apparent that Nixie wouldn't be going back to sleep, Deaton showed her how to better keep the wound clean and to rebandage him properly. Nixie had already known the basics. Deaton was just helping her perfect it.

It also didn't hurt that she asked about what he'd given Scott to help his healing. They still weren't addressing the bigger questions in the room. How in the hell did he know how to help Scott in the first place? How did he know about werewolves?

Nixie couldn't afford to address those questions yet. First she needed to see Scott wake up and know he was perfectly fine again. She needed to talk to Stiles and make sure Melissa was home and safe, and that he and Noah were alright too. She also needed to figure out more about what had happened to Scott, and if Jackson was alive or dead, considering Jackson had been with him at the time. At least, Nixie assumes Jackson was with Scott then.

Another note on the side, Jackson hadn't tried to help Scott after he was shot. She was definitely going to break his nose. Maybe try to bust a lip. She wasn't decided on the whole thing yet. But he was getting punched at least once. Really hard.

In any case, so Nixie didn't question Deaton. Instead she focused on Scott. Focused on keeping his wound clean and tracking the progression of the healing. And when she wasn't doing that, she was trying to contact Stiles.

In his defense, Stiles had probably been asleep when she'd first tried to call him. Which is why he had ten text messages and five missed calls from her when he woke up. He'd been worried for a moment that she would be pissed at him for not responding sooner, but she was just happy to hear his voice.

He addressed all her questions, assuring that Melissa had gotten home fine, if not a little upset that her first date in a long time had not turned out well, or even really happened. His dad was fine, having taken some pills for his headache the next morning and gone to work as usual. And he was fine, with nothing new to report since their debacle last night.

Stiles had actually started asking her questions, and she had just finished explaining the whole situation to him about last night, when she'd heard Deaton and stopped mid-sentence. "Nixie? What…"

She puts the phone back to her ear and says, "I'll call you back Stiles, I promise. Scott's fine. Don't worry." "Alright."

Hanging up and tossing her phone on the table, she runs over to Scott and wraps herself around him. Sighing against his chest, she says, "Never, ever, ever, do that to me again. Do you understand me? Not ever."

Deaton watches as Scott relaxes and hugs her back tightly. And he knows that the pressure Scott applies is probably too much for Nixie, a human, to be truly comfortable with. But she doesn't stop him.

Scott breathes a heavy sigh against the top of her head and says, "I swear I'll try to avoid it in the future." "Good." "How is everyone else?" "Everyone's fine. I promise. I took care of it." "I never doubted it for a moment." But hearing it confirmed by her helped him relax even more.

Deaton smiles and then he says to Scott, "Here, maybe you should sit down." He gestures to the chair Nixie had been using, and upon seeing the blanket and pillow, Scott turns to her and asks, "You slept here."

And he can't help but smile at her when she shrugs and says, "You were here and I wasn't about to leave until I saw you wake up for myself. Not like I had any place better to be anyway."

That's when the bell on the front door rings. Deaton glances that way and asks, "Hello?"

No answer.

Deaton is about to move forward to see who it is, when Scott grabs his arm to stop him. He reaches out for Nixie too, pulling her behind him, and then shakes his head at Deaton. Scott could already tell who it was. He could smell him even from here. It was Peter.

But Deaton smiles gently and reassuringly, and then steps out to the front desk anyway while saying, "I'm sorry, but we're closed."

Peter, all false modesty and courtesy, says, "Hi there. I'm here to pick up." Nixie glares through the wall to where she imagines Peter to be standing. Gently putting a hand on Scott's shoulder, she says, "Stay here." "Nix…" "It's alright. Just stay here."

Coming to the doorway, not yet making herself visible, she listens as Deaton says, "I'm not sure I remember you dropping off." Peter smirks slightly and says, "Yes, well, this one wandered in on its own."

Nixie doesn't miss how Deaton's voice drops down to a lower tone of voice, more dangerous and firm sounding, as he says, "Even if he did, I'm afraid I can't help you. We're closed." Peter says, "I think you can make an exception this one time. Don't you?" "I'm sorry, that's not going to be possible. Maybe you could come back during regular hours."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie makes a growling sound of her own in her throat when Peter says, "You have something of mine. I'm here to collect it."

Coming around the corner, she glares at Peter and says, "He is not yours." Peter smirks and her and says, "I'll take that one too, if it's all the same to you Doctor." Nixie makes to march over to him, grabbing a cane from a basket near the door as she goes.

Deaton puts a hand in front of her to stop her, and then nods gently towards the cane, silently telling her that she wouldn't need it. Then he turns back to Peter and says, "Like I said, we're closed."

Nixie grips the cane tighter as Peter reaches forward. If he wants Scott, he'll go through her first, and she'll at least work at stabbing one of his eyes out first before he gets past her.

But as Peter reaches out, she hears an almost charring and burning sound, and Peter drops his hand in surprise.

Reaching out again, he touches the wood of the counter, and the same sound occurs. Drawing his hand back angrily, he gives Deaton a mean smile and says, "Mountain ash. That's an old one."

Then Peter grabs a desk and throws it at the wall beside Deaton. And to Deaton's surprise, he finds himself yanked out of the way of the debris by Nixie. He watches her for a moment as she glares at Peter outside their circle of protection. Then he gently draws her to stand behind him again as he says, "Let me be as clear as possible. We. Are. Closed."

Peter stares at them both in anger a second more, and then straightens his jacket and steps up to the door.

He pauses though, and Nixie hears him say, "There are others who can help me get what I want Scott. Other who are far more innocent… and far more vulnerable."

And Nixie can hear Scott in the other room say, "Alison."

As Peter leaves, Deaton turns to find Nixie sprinting into the backroom.

She's just in time to grab Scott and keep him from bolting out the back door. "Nixie move. We have to…" "Have to wait for Peter to be gone first."

Scott pauses at that, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But…" "Then we need your phone." "My phone? Why?" "To call Derek. I already tried calling him while you were asleep, and he's not answering me. Maybe he'll answer you." "Derek? But…" "The Argents were the shooters, and they were aiming for Derek. They want him to get to the alpha. And if Peter wants Alison too, it's probably to get to the Argents, who were after Derek and him. So… you need to call Derek, and you need to figure out where he is so we can figure out what to do from here."

They both turn to Deaton then, who says, "He's gone now, by the way." Nixie nods to him, and then surprises him again by running around and hugging him tight. Sighing, she says, "Thank you. Thank you so much." "Of course dear."

When she leans back, she looks to Scott and says, "After we settle finding Derek, make sure you give your employer my number. He's on the list now." Scott grins at that, and as Nixie walks out, leaving a confused Deaton behind, Scott simply says, "You can call her, for anything. Literally. And if you don't… well, she'll be pissed. Just FYI."

* * *

"Call it again."

Nixie dials Scott's number from the doorway while Stiles sighs and says, "It's not here Scott."

As Scott continues searching frantically, Stiles throws up his hands and says, "So you lost your phone. Why don't you just get a new one?" Scott gives him a look that asks, 'are you really this stupid', and then says, "I can't afford a new one." Nixie raises a finger to that and says, "Me neither, which is why mine never leaves my side. Well, unless I'm in the shower. Or swimming. Or… okay, whatever. Anyways…"

Scott sighs in frustration and says, "And we can't do this alone. We have to find Derek. Even Nixie thinks so. It was her idea."

Stiles looks back at Nixie and asks, "Really?" "Yep." "Well, A, Scott, you're not alone. You have us." Nixie grins at that, patting Stiles on the shoulder and saying, "Damn straight."

Stiles smiles at her, and then looks back to Scott, who is still urgently looking for his phone. Sighing, Stiles adds, "And, B, didn't you say Derek walked into gunfire? He sounds pretty dead." Nixie taps him lightly on the back of the head, not a full on slap, and then says, "Don't suggest the dreadful right now. Peter is enough of that on his own." "Right."

Scott comes back and says, "Argent's plan was to use Derek to get the alpha. They're not going to kill him. Not yet anyway." Stiles huffs and says, "Alright, so, then just let them do what they're planning? You know? They use Derek to get Peter, problem solved."

Nixie holds up a finger and says, "Not quite." Stiles looks to her again and asks, "Why not?"

She points at Scott, who comes out of the bathroom he was searching in, and then says, "Not if Peter's going after Alison to find Derek! And I can't protect her on my own. Which means we need to find Derek first. Just… just help me!"

He tosses a ball at Stiles head, which Nixie reaches forward and deflects before it can actually hit him. Stiles grins back at her in appreciation, but then sighs and says, "You know, you probably lost it when you two were fighting. You remember that? When he was trying to kill you? After you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Are you starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here?"

Nixie nods and says, "Yeah… all of the Hales appear to be violent don't they?" Stiles points at her and says, "Exactly!" "But we still need to find Derek." "Oh Nix, come on."

They both pause though when Scott says slowly and carefully, "He wasn't going to kill anyone. And I'm not letting him die."

Nixie smiles at Scott and says, "That's my werewolf." He grins at her, and then they both roll their eyes when Stiles asks, "Could you at least just think about letting him die? For me?"

That does in fact earn him a real slap to the back of the head.

Nixie and Scott both hear the car pull into the drive. And when Stiles asks what's going on, Scott says, "My mom just got home from work."

Now… Nixie can't hear the conversation that takes place between Melissa and the phone she's talking into. Her exceptional human hearing stops there. But she can tell it's not exactly good when Scott stops searching for his phone, leaning back against his desk wearily.

As Scott closes his eyes and sighs, Stiles asks, "Is she okay?" "No." Nixie comes over to his side and asks, "What's she doing?" "Crying."

Scott moves to sit on the edge of his bed and Nixie joins him. Running a hand up and down his back, she says, "We can't help that one Scott. She… we had to keep Peter from her." "I know… I know."

Stiles leans forward and says gently, "Look, Scott… you can't protect everyone."

Scott looks back at him and says, "I have to."

Nixie glances between her two greatest friends in the world, and then kisses Scott on the side of the head and says, "Yeah, well, you aren't doing it alone. When are you going to Alison's tonight?" Scott looks at her and says, "I was planning on being there all night to keep watch over her." "Yeah, well, I'm bringing you some coffee and I'll join you for a while. You need to sleep at some point, or you can't watch out for her during the day. So when do you want me over?"

Scott smiles at her, and then wraps an arm around her before saying, "At the beginning. Just wake me up when you're ready to leave and get some sleep yourself." "Done."

And Stiles sighs and says, "Look, I can't sit on a roof all night, because dad will figure out I'm gone if I don't get back with the jeep in the morning. But I'll bring the coffee." Nixie smiles and says, "You don't have…" "Oh please. Like anyone aside from me can actually put enough creamer and sugar in the coffee to please you. I'm bringing the coffee, so just shut it."

They all laugh at that, and then Nixie sighs and says, "Alright. We'll meet at Alison's at twenty-two hundred. She ought to be asleep by then."

Scott laughs again while Stiles grins and says, "And we know the shit has officially hit the fan when Nixie starts talking in military time. But yes, that sounds good. And break!"

* * *

Nixie tilts her head as they watch down the hall together at school the next day. Jackson, sweating from how frightened he'd been a moment ago, is indeed making sure that Alison is still set to go with him to the formal tomorrow. Scott must've really pulled something scary in the locker rom when they were trying to talk to him. Nodding in approval, Nixie then turns back to Scott and Stiles and says, "I honestly thought it would be harder to get him to do that."

Stiles nods, and then says to Scott, "And don't worry, Nixie and I are still gonna be there." Scott nods, but then says, "I'm still going." Nixie grins and says, "Of course you are." Stiles rolls his eyes at her and asks, "Is that such a good idea? Do you even have a date?" "Not yet, but neither does Nixie."

Nixie shrugs and says, "Who says I need one? I'm not a huge fan of the slow dances anyway." Stiles gives her a look and says, "I thought you weren't big on dancing at all." "I'm not. But in the interest of keeping Alison in sight, I am prepared to party like it's 1989." Scott grins and asks, "Was that a good year?" "I honestly have no idea. Sounded good though, right?" "Yeah."

Stiles sighs and says, "Okay, fine, but do you have a suit Scott?" "Not yet." "Do you have a ticket to the formal? A ride there?" Scott turns to face him and says, "No, and no."

Stiles glances back down the hall, where Jackson and Alison are separating now to go their own ways to class. Then he looks back at Scott and says, "So… you're gonna ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to, without a date, a suit, or a way in, with werewolves and werewolf hunters all out to kick your little werewolf ass."

Nixie is laughing by the end of his speech, and Scott can't help but grin. But he still answers, "Yeah. You gonna help me?" And Nixie laughs again when Stiles answers immediately, "Hell yeah."

Then they both look at her and Stiles wrap an arm around her shoulders and says, "Like I was gonna say no." "It's not that. I'm sorry. I just still think it's funny." "I always am."

Nixie wraps her arms around both of them, but then freezes and turns around.

Jackson and Lydia are at a set of lockers, Jackson looking smug as he ever has

And when Lydia turns her head enough for Nixie to see her face, she can see tears welling up in Lydia's eyes.

Frowning deeply, Nixie asks, "What's wrong with Lydia?" Stiles glances back down the hall, and then says, "It's because Jackson is going with Alison to the dance." "Yeah, but as friends. He's taking both now, right? He doesn't have to just take one."

Scott and Stiles both look at each other, and then Stiles says, "I… I forgot… you cut her off and I forgot you didn't know." "Know what?" Scott puts a hand on her shoulder, and then says, "Jackson… he… he broke up with her. He broke up with Lydia."

Silence for a moment, and then Stiles jumps back from her a little when she raises her deadly eyes to look at them. She's not mad at them though, Scott can tell. So when she asks slowly, "Why?", Scott doesn't hesitate. He says honestly, "Because he was preparing for the bite, and he didn't want to be attached to her anymore. I think that was all part of him going after Alison too, so he could be free to go and do that. But he still really officially broke up with Lydia. Through a text. It was kind of harsh. He called her dead weight I think."

For a moment, very brief, Scott worries when his hand suddenly becomes incredibly cold where it is on Nixie's shoulder. It only lasted a second, but he wonders at what it was.

But then it's gone, and Nixie simply says to them, "Go to class guys." Stiles steps back up to her and says, "Nix… you…" "Go to class."

They leave her standing in the hall, and once they're out of sight, she spins around and starts marching the other direction.

Lydia grabs Jackson's arm and says, "I don't understand. You have to…" "I don't have to explain anything Lydia. I'm done with you. We had fun. The sex was good. But I'm done. You didn't actually think this would end up going anywhere did you? What did you think? That we were going to date through high school and then go to the same college, get married, and watch 'The Notebook' every Friday night? I'm a jock. I'm getting a scholarship, and I'm getting out of this town, and I'm never seeing you again when I do. Okay? So we're done. We're finished."

Smirking he says, "But don't worry sweetheart. You'll always be one of my favorite booty calls."

Lydia is one word away from letting her tears fall, which would ruin her perfectly applied makeup.

That's when Jackson is ripped from in front of her. And at first, Lydia didn't understand what was happening.

Then she turned to where Jackson had just been thrown into some lockers, falling to the ground afterwards. And the figure that had thrown him there flips him over onto his back and straddles him on the floor, and starts punching him in the face. Repeatedly. And Hard.

Lydia's mouth falls open slightly when she finally takes a breath and realizes it's Nixie… doing what she'd always said she would do if Jackson ever hurt her. Lydia had sometimes wondered how serious Nixie's threat on that point had been.

But it was quite apparent now. Nixie had never been more serious about anything in her life.

Jackson's now broken nose was a testament to that.

Nixie kept on punching him, until hands grabbed her arms and hauled her away. She fought them for a moment, turning to glare at whoever had her. But when she saw Danny's face, she eased back and said as calmly as she could, "Let me go." "Nix, teachers are coming."

And even though Jackson was his best friend, he wasn't about to let Nixie get in trouble right before the dance. Not when she was only doing exactly what she'd always said she'd do. It wasn't her fault if Jackson was too stupid to understand that she'd meant it.

Nixie glances back at Jackson, almost ready to snarl at him in her own anger. But finally, she relaxes and asks Danny, "What's the story?" "He got hit in the face hard at practice. We'll make it stick. Right Luke?" The other boy who had helped grab Nixie nods, and then Nixie nods to both of them and says, "Thanks."

She leans down to Jackson again once they let her go, and he shrivels up into a ball almost in fear. Smirking at him, she says, "Good luck fixing your now broken face before tomorrow. And yes, you will still be going. Don't forget, I know where you live."

Jackson's eyes widen, but he doesn't say anything back. Nixie then stands up straight and moves away.

She glances over at Lydia, and then comes over to where she's standing. She doesn't speak. And Lydia doesn't either. She just opens Lydia's locker, still knowing exactly what the combination is, and then pulls out a tissue from inside. Handing it to Lydia, she whispers, "Check your mascara."

And then she walks off without another word.

Lydia stares down at Jackson on the floor for a moment, Danny and Luke both attempting to get him up out of the floor before anyone else notices what happened. Then she turns away, checking the mirror in her locker and wiping gently under her eyes, where her mascara had started to run just a little. It honestly would've been fine, and no one else probably would've noticed.

But Nixie knew how much Lydia cared about these things. So Nixie had told her.

And Lydia remembers what Nixie said at the Argents' house. That is was up to her whether Nixie ever let her back in or not.

Well, she'd just have to see what she could do about that.

* * *

"Oh, this is nice." Nixie turns from watching Scott in the bathroom mirror just off from his bedroom, to Melissa as she admires the suit on the bed. Then Melissa turns over one corner of the suit while asking, "How did you afford… Oh."

Nixie holds up a roll of duct-tape that she'd used to help mend the suit as much as possible. Melissa smiles at her, and then looks to Scott who asks, "It's not gonna work, is it?" Nixie gives him an offended look and says, "I took part in it. Of course it will work. Would I have told you to go and hurry up and get ready if I thought it wasn't going to work?"

Melissa smiles at her, and then holds up the suit and says, "It's fine Scott. Really. No one will notice." But as Scott turns back to the mirror, Melissa adds, "No one legally blind."

Scott sighs and says, "I heard that." Nixie laughs and says, "Just hurry up so you can try it on and then we'll see." "It's this stupid tie! I can't…" "Scott, come here."

He moves to stand in front of her, and she undoes the ridiculous knot he'd managed to put in his tie and starts redoing it for him. Once she's pushed it up to his collar, she smooths it down the front and then kisses her fingers and says, "Perfection. Suit tailors wish they had my knot-tying skills." Scott grins at her, and Melissa laughs while saying, "Alright, hurry up and try this on."

As he slips on the suit, Melissa smiles at his appearance and says, "Wow. I actually think this is gonna work." "Really?" "Yeah. Turn."

And Scott turns, and as he lifts his arms, the back of his pants reveal a split right down the middle in the back. Melissa sighs and says, "And no." Scott turns and asks, "What?" Melissa points to the hole, and Scott huffs in aggravation and says, "I don't have time for this! I can't buy new ones! Mom! What am I going to do?!"

They both turn towards the ripping sound that comes from Nixie's direction. She's holding another length of the duct-tape in her hands, and when they both raise an eyebrow at her, she asks, "What? Duct-tape can fix everything. Just give me the pants and I'll work magic."

Melissa laughs a little before saying, "Okay, as much faith as I have in your duct-tape skills Nixie, and I do have absolute faith…" Nixie bows at the praise, and then Melissa turns back to Scott and says, "Let me try something else though. Pants off. Now."

Nixie glances away, but after a moment sighs and says, "Okay, modesty be damned. I've seen you in boxers before. Do I have to stare at the bathroom all night?" "Nixie, I never told you to turn around." "Oh… right."

Melissa comes back and starts sewing the back of the pants back together. As she works on that, she asks, "So, is Stiles coming to pick you two up? Because you know I need the car tonight." Scott glances at Nixie, who shrugs because she's not sure how Melissa came to that conclusion. So Scott says, "No… I'm going stag mom." Melissa pauses and looks up at him as she asks, "You're going alone? Wait… both of you? Why?"

Scott says, "First of all, I'm going stag. There's a difference, I think." Nixie nods and when Melissa looks at her, Nixie says, "I'm going as single and ready to mingle." Melissa raises an eyebrow and says, "No one asked you to the dance? Looking like that?"

Nixie looks down at herself and doesn't really see what Melissa is talking about. She was wearing a deep red dress with two skinny straps over the shoulders. The top portion had a black sash around it at the waist, and then flared out at the bottom and stretched an inch or two past her knees. To go with it, she was wearing a pair of ankle high black boots that were shined and actually very cute with her outfit.

To top it off, she'd even managed to curl her hair and was leaving it down. Though she did have a giant clip in the convenient pocket this dress had, so she could clip her hair up in a heartbeat if she wanted to. She also wore a black necklace with a red ruby pendant at the end, two earrings that dangled and matched, and a black sash of a bracelet that wrapped snug around her wrist.

The only thing she hadn't done was her nails, and that's because she figured she'd just start chipping away at the paint as soon as it was dry. She's not sure what it was about fingernail polish, but she could never manage to just leave it alone once it was on… not even for just one day.

Scott looks at her too, knowing that if she'd tried she could've gotten a date. Half of the guys in the locker room would've gladly taken her… if she'd asked them. No one would've dared come up and asked her… for fear that she would've been offended or something and punched them in the face. Even if someone had been thinking of asking last minute, that had been ruined by the show she put on with Jackson in school.

If Jackson came to the dance without a black eye… it was because his parents had gotten him an amazing concealer to use to hide it.

Looking back up at Melissa, Nixie shrugs and says, "I think even they are aware that they couldn't handle all of this." She gestures to the whole of herself, making Melissa laugh and she continues to sew. Scott gives her a look, but Nixie just shrugs and continues watching Melissa work.

Melissa then looks up at Scott and says, "Okay, Nixie I do kind of get. But… I'm a little surprised that you… you know… don't have anyone else to ask other than Alison." Scott sighs and says, "There are no other girls besides Alison." Melissa looks up at him, and then to Nixie when she smiles and says, "That's one of the great things about my boys. So dedicated and loyal. Not like the general rest of the male population in our high school."

Melissa looks back to Scott and asks, "You really feel that way?" Scott sighs again and asks, "Can you just keep sewing?" "No, no, no, no…. you have time for just one question. Come here." She pats the seat next to her, and then gestures for Nixie to come over on the other side. As they both sit down, Melissa asks Scott, "Do you really feel that way?"

Scott thinks about it for a moment, and then says, "I can't help it. I mean… every time I look at her, I get this… this hollow feeling in my chest, and it's like… it's like someone literally took a shovel and dug a hole in me, and it's the worst feeling I've ever had in my life, and I didn't… I didn't know anyone could actually ever feel this bad."

Nixie knew it though. Not because of a boy she liked either. She knew because when she'd been little, and she'd still been able to see her mom… she felt that way. There was always glass or a wall or a door between them after she'd been admitted to Eichen. On the good days, it wasn't so bad. But those became too far and too few in between, until they vanished altogether. Then whenever Nixie would look at her mother… she wouldn't really be there. Some psychotic individual would be in her mother's place.

And that hollow feeling that Scott was talking about… that's what Nixie felt for her mother. And she'd been silly enough once to explain, in one of her mother's rare moments of clarity, that that's how she felt.

Which was when Nixie became banned from seeing her mother in Eichen house ever again. Because as painful as it might be for Nixie to not see her, Naomi had felt it was better than having Nixie see only a shell of what she had been. She'd known that her days of clarity were coming to a close… that pretty soon she wouldn't be able to come back. And she had to stop Nixie coming, before she reached the point where she wouldn't be allowed to dictate those kinds of decisions.

Sighing, Nixie breaks out of her own thoughts when Melissa says, "I know. Everyone knows eventually. But it does go away." Nixie glances up at Scott, about to tell him that it might not. But then Scott says, "I don't want it to." Smiling, Nixie nods and says, "Good boy."

He grins at her, and then looks to his mom when she asks, "Have you told her how you feel?" "She knows?"

Nixie falls back on the bed laughing when Melissa bops him on the forehead and says, "Come on Scott. 'She knows?'" Helping Nixie sit back up, Melissa then says, "Listen, dumbass, I'm gonna let you in on a secret, that most guys don't even have a clue about, alright? You ready?" Scott nods and then Melissa says, "Women love words."

Scott blinks in confusion, but Melissa continues by saying, "You need to tell her how you feel. Just say it. Say it again. Say it differently." Nixie nods and adds, "Learn how to say it better." Melissa points to her and says, "Exactly. Learn how to sing it even."

Scott chuckles at them, and Nixie grins back at him but says, "Pay attention though. This stuff is legit." Melissa nods her appreciation of Nixie's support, and then says, "You know, just write it in a poem and a letter attached to flowers. Carve it in a tree… in a sidewalk with cement… tattoo on your arm."

Nixie falls down laughing again as Scott asks, "Really?" Melissa gives him a look and says, "No, not really." She finishes up with the sewing and says, "Just tell her the truth. Tell her anything and everything you want."

Scott asks, "Everything?" And Nixie can see the look in his eyes. He's thinking about the werewolf bit. And though Nixie isn't sure Alison would be ready for that yet… well, it should be Scott's decision.

Then she laughs again when Melissa says, "But when you do… I'd keep that buttoned up. Here you go." She hands Scott his pants back, and then pulls Nixie up off the bed. Fixing her hair a little, she asks, "And why aren't you going with anyone?" "I told you." "Right. And how are you getting there?" "Same way Scott is." "On a bike? Nixie… you're in a dress." "I'll be fine, so long as I stay standing on the bike." "And if you wreck."

And Melissa can't help but laugh when Nixie says, "Then I'll end up a mess… but I'll be a hot mess. That's gotta count for something."

As the two of them finally get ready to leave, Melissa holds Nixie back and says to Scott, "She'll be right behind you."

Nixie shrugs to Scott and says, "I'm coming. Hell, I'll probably pass you on the way there." Scott smirks and takes off on his bike down the road.

Turning back to Melissa, Nixie asks, "Yeah?" Melissa folds her arms, going for a firm parental appearance. It doesn't quite come off correctly since Melissa doesn't actually look mad or stern right now.

And then Noah comes out from in the kitchen. Tilting her head, Nixie asks, "How long have you been here? And I thought you were working tonight." "I am. But I had a little time before I had to go in, and Melissa knew that you'd be here with Scott. So… we agreed this was the perfect time for our little meeting about you not telling us that we were your stand-in parents."

Nixie nods at that, and then points and both and says, "Nice ambush tactics by the way. Totally didn't see it coming." Noah grins at her, and then sighs and asks, "Just… why didn't you tell us Nixie?"

She shrugs after a moment, and then sighs and says, "I didn't want to bother you guys with it. You know… make you feel like you had to go to these conferences for two kids instead of one. And I don't need the conferences. I keep my grades up and I try to avoid getting into trouble."

Noah points and says, "But you do still give people that look that threatens them without words." Nixie nods, and then shrugs again and says, "It's effective. I have enough to deal with… what with trying to keep Jackson from hurting my boys while also not actually hurting him because he's important to Lydia. Although… that might not be such a problem now. But anyways…"

Melissa and Noah glance at each other, and then Melissa asks, "Are you… are you okay Nixie? I mean… at home?" "Yeah. I'm fine. I know my mom's away a lot and no one ever really knows when she can come back… but I'm fine. And besides, I'm hardly there anyway."

When Noah and Melissa blink in surprise, Nixie laughs and says, "Come on guys. I spend the majority of my time with Stiles and Scott… which means I'm mostly always here. I sleep at the apartment, and of course I eat there and do homework there when it's not group work… but mostly I'm here, with you guys. I'm not lonely."

Okay… so that was a bit of a stretch. She did get lonely at night. And maybe if her mother was actually a businesswoman who traveled a lot, she wouldn't actually feel that loneliness so acutely.

But her mom wasn't a businesswoman. Her mom was a psycho in Eichen. So yes… she got lonely.

But Melissa and Noah didn't need to know that. She bothered them enough as it was… what with always eating their food half the time and always being at their houses. Stiles actually has a drawer in his room that he cleaned out a long time ago so she could keep some stuff there. They didn't need to worry about her home life… not when she didn't really even consider the apartment a home anyway.

They glance at each other again, and then Noah smiles gently and says, "Well… we're honored that you picked us." Nixie smiles back at him and says, "Like there would be any other two people in the world perfect enough to be my stand-in parents."

And with a final hug and farewell, Nixie grabs her bike and takes off down the road to catch up with Scott, and to get to the dance.

And hopefully get everything to go off without a hitch. But… well, based on their luck as of late, Nixie isn't counting on those odds.

* * *

As Alison and Jackson pull up at the dance, Alison watches him warily as he takes a sip from a vodka bottle. Sure, they were only going as friends, but she'd at least hoped that her date would stay sober.

Of course, it might have something to do with the bruised face he now had. He'd put on a lot of concealer apparently, so it was well hidden. But you could still see the outline of where the blackness around his eye started. And his nose had been fixed, but it was still slightly swollen from the injury.

He still looked handsome, but to anyone that knew him well, they could see that he had in fact been beaten up.

Sighing, she then shakes her head when he offers her the bottle for a sip. Jackson gives her a look and asks, "You wanna do tonight sober?" "I wouldn't mind remembering some of it." "Yeah, well… I wouldn't mind forgetting all of it."

Oh yeah. Jackson was just a peach. Sighing and hesitating for a moment, Alison then finally asks, "Do you know if Scott's coming?" Jackson looks back at her for a moment, and then says, "I know he's not allowed to. Academic probation."

After he gets out of the car, Alison lowers the visor to check her makeup. Her mind was still reeling with everything that Kate had just thrown on her. About werewolves existing, and that her family hunted them. That Derek apparently was one. That there was another one and that she was supposed to help Kate catch it.

But for now, she was supposed to be a normal teenage girl. Nodding to herself, she says aloud, "Normal teenage girl. You can do this. Smile Alison. Somebody could be falling in love with your…"

She was about to say smile, except when she flipped the visor back up, she saw Scott making his way across the roof. And another figure… who was helping him open some sort of hatch to get down into the school… A figure in a dress. But who…

Smiling, Alison mutters to herself, "Scott and Nixie."

As Stiles pulls up in his jeep and opens the door for Lydia, she gets out and wipes off her dress to make sure there isn't dirt on it. Though there shouldn't be. Stiles took great care to clean out his car for tonight. He'd even gotten Nixie to help him, though he still hadn't revealed just who his date was for tonight.

When Alison had first told Lydia that instead of taking a jock, she was going to be taking Stiles to the dance… Lydia hadn't been thrilled.

But, then she'd thought about it. Stiles was one of Nixie's people. One of her 'boys' as she called them. So… Stiles would take care of her tonight. He'd take her to the dance, he'd help her have fun… he'd take her home and wouldn't ask to come up and sleep with her on this first 'date', if you wanted to call it that.

And Stiles was one of Nixie's boys, which meant that if Lydia went with him to the dance… maybe she would have a slightly better chance of getting back in Nixie's good graces.

She was pondering all of this beside Stiles, silently she thought. But when she felt a hand gently grab hers, she looked up into his eyes and asked, "What?" "She doesn't hate you. You know that right?" Lydia blinks and asks, "Who?" "Nixie."

They stay quiet for a moment, and then Lydia ducks her head and asks, "How can you be sure? She took her number away." "You have it memorized though, don't you?" Lydia nods at that, and then asks, "How do you know that?" "You're smart. And Nixie knows you're smart too. She knew deleting it from your phone wouldn't actually keep you from calling her. It just… made it more official that she was cutting you off for a while." "For a while?"

Stiles nods, and then says gently, "She still cares about you. A lot. She cried over you. Or you know… came close to it. I don't think Nixie has ever full out cried since I've met her. But I've never seen her so upset about something, until she had to cut you off."

Lydia stares up at him for a moment, and then asks, "You think I can get her back?" "I know you can. Just… be more real. The real you. The one Nixie actually cares about." Squeezing her fingers, Stiles adds, "You're pretty amazing, you know. You shouldn't try to hide it."

Lydia smiles up at him, and then they both glance over at Jackson and Alison. Lydia nods and says, "Alison, you look stunning." Alison smiles back, and then Lydia says to Jackson, "You look handsome."

Jackson smirks and says, "Obviously. It's Hugo Boss."

He's chuckling, until he turns back forward and Nixie is in front of him. He jumps back so comically that Alison has to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Stiles doesn't try. And Lydia grins a little, but manages to keep her composure.

Leaning closer to Jackson, she asks, "How about I blacken your other eye? Would it help you with your manners then? To have them both black?"

He stares at her a moment longer, and then looks to Lydia again and says, "You look nice too." Then he grabs onto Alison again and hurries up the stairs to get inside.

Nixie watches him leave, and then turns to Stiles when he puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "That was awesome." And as Lydia steps up shyly, she adds, "It really was."

Nixie glances at her, looks her up and down, and then back to Stiles and asks, "You two?" "Yep." "Huh. Wonders never cease." Stiles lets his mouth fall open in fake shock, but then he laughs with her as she pats his back gently. Sighing, she then says, "Well, I suggest we all go inside. And yes, it was worth it. Because Jackson doesn't look all that great right now. It would just be stupid for him to not compliment you guys though. Smoking."

Stiles straightens his suit flaps in appreciation, but they both look at Lydia when she says, "I don't care. And I don't want compliments." Nixie raises an eyebrow at her, and Lydia continues, "I will not fall prey to society's desire to turn girls into emotionally insecure neurotics who pull up their dresses at the first flattering remark."

Nixie blinks at her, and then bites her lower lip to hide her smile when Stiles simply says, "Well, I think you look beautiful." Lydia snaps her gaze to him, eyes softening and frown lifting as she asks, "Really?" Nixie full on smiles at that, and then says, "Better believe he does. I've trained him well to never lie to a woman about how she looks." Stiles nods with a grin, and then holds his arm out to Lydia, who takes it happily in her hand.

As they start heading for the stairs, Nixie says, "Oh, and before I forget…"

She moves them into a brief huddle, Lydia smiling wider when Nixie includes her in it automatically. Then Nixie says conspiratorially, "We are avoiding punch bowl number two. That is the one being spiked." Stiles nods, but asks, "Whose your source? You can't trust everyone." "Yes, but I can trust Danny."

Lydia nods at that, and then as Nixie makes to move away, Lydia asks, "Where's your date?" "I'm here with me, myself, and I. Quite a handful already." Lydia rolls her eyes, and then smiles when she looks to Stiles and sees him already holding out his spare arm for Nixie. Tilting her head, Nixie says, "But you guys…" Stiles gives her a look and says, "Nix… you look beautiful too. And it would just be a shame for either of you to have to walk in by yourself. Come on."

As she loops her hand through Stiles' spare arm, Nixie says, "You are the perfect gentleman Stiles. Even if the rest of the world chooses to ignore it, be aware that I know it." "Thanks."

Stiles feels a new pressure on his arm, and turns his head to see that Lydia is actually holding onto his arm with both hands, a smile on her face, happier then he or anyone else had seen her in the past few days.

The smile on his own face as they walk in together couldn't have been wider if he'd tried.

Nixie lets them go after getting inside and says, "Now… you two have fun. I'm off to find a boy who won't mind that, though I'm going to try, I can't actually dance at all." Stiles chuckles and asks, "What happened to partying like 1989?" "Still totally part of the plan my friend. But I didn't say the people back then knew how to dance either."

She leaves them at that, nodding to Lydia, making her smile again, before heading off to find Scott. She'd find someone to actually dance with later.

Scott is by the bleachers, keeping an eye on Alison, on Coach, and an eye out for Peter. Of course, when she gets to and sits next to him, Scott says, "I swear I saw him. Just for a second. But I think…" Nixie nods and says, "You've got eyes on Alison. I've got eyes on Alison. He's not getting her out of here tonight. He has to go through all of us first. And in case you haven't noticed… I'm incredibly hard to get through."

Scott grins at her and says, "Thanks." "No problem. That, however, is most definitely a problem though." He looks up to see coach spotting him, and Nixie shoves him down and out of sight for a moment. Coach blinks, looks around the area briefly, and then goes back to talking to his fellow teachers. Sighing, Nixie says, "Clear." "Thank God."

On the dance floor, Stiles looks over to see Alison and Jackson getting on the dance floor. Turning to Lydia, he asks, "You wanna dance?"

And she would've said yes. She really would've. But she glanced over his shoulder to Jackson, and then slumped back down and said, "Pass."

Stiles glances back at Jackson too. And he knows Lydia isn't thrilled to see Jackson dancing with some other girl. But he's not about to just roll over and let that ruin Lydia's night. So he stands up and says, "You know what? Let me try that again. Lydia, get off your cute little ass and dance with me now."

Lydia stares at him for a moment, and then says, "Interesting tactic. Won't lie. But I'm gonna stick with no." Stiles huffs and says, "Lydia, get up, okay? You're gonna dance with me. Alright? I don't' care, that you made out with my best friend, or bugged him out so much that Nixie had to use drastic measure to get through to you. I don't care that it was probably for some weird power thing, I don't… I really don't."

Sighing when Lydia just gives him a look like he's nuts, he starts over again. "Lydia, I've had a crush on you since the third grade. And I know that somewhere inside that cold, lifeless exterior there's an actual human soul. Okay? Otherwise, Nixie most definitely wouldn't be wasting her time with you, alright? She certainly wouldn't have almost cried over you."

Nodding, seeing that he has Lydia's attention, he adds, "And I'm also pretty sure that I'm the only one, aside from Nixie, who knows how smart you really are. Uh-huh. And that once you're done pretending being a nitwit, you'll eventually go off and write some insane mathematical theorem that wins you the Nobel Prize."

Lydia stares at him a moment longer, and then can't help but grin at his mistake. Ducking her eyes for just a moment, she says, "The Field's medal." Stiles blinks at her and asks, "What?" Standing up from her chair and walking around to him, she says, "The Nobel doesn't have an award for mathematics. The Field's medal is the one I'll be winning."

And then she puts her hand in his, and brings him with her onto the dance floor.

Nixie smirks from the bleachers when she sees him pump his fist in silent victory. "Atta boy Stiles."

Of course, watching them distracted her from watching coach, which meant she didn't push Scott out of the way soon enough this time.

"McCall! I see you! Come here buddy!" Nixie shoves Scott towards the stairs and says, "Go, go, go!" "Where?!" "I don't freaking know! But you can't stay here! Move!"

They scramble down the bleachers and onto the floor, weaving amidst the banners to keep out of Coach's sight. Not that it should be incredibly hard to avoid him. He keeps shouting; which gives away his position. But Scott can't just run away the entire night.

Finally, Nixie grabs Scott and drags him over to Danny. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she says, "Dance with him." "What? Nixie… I can't…" "Now. Please Danny." She hauls him up, and then sees Danny's date coming back towards them. Shoving Danny at Scott, she gives Danny a look and says, "I got this. Just dance with him."

Then she hurriedly dashes over to Danny's date… Michael she thinks is his name. His eyes are on Danny, offended and maybe a little hurt.

But then she's in front of him. Making him put his hands on her waist, she says, "Hi. You're Danny's boyfriend right?" "Right. Or… I was… I thought…" She grips his chin gently to make sure he looks at her, and then she says, "Danny is a friend of mine, and he is doing me a solid. Scott is not gay. He's into girls. He loves girls. He's in love with one girl, and wanted to be here tonight to see her. But he wasn't supposed to come. Danny is helping me save him from Coach. So dance with me for a moment, until Coach backs off, and then go back to Danny."

Michael stares at her for a moment, processing what she just said. Then he smiles gently and says, "You must be Nixie." "The one and only. I see my reputation precedes me."

They both laugh, and then when Coach finally backs off and tells everyone to start dancing again, Nixie sighs and says, "Crisis averted. Now… go back to your date. Sorry to have almost crashed it." "It's alright. You had a pretty nice save too." "I do what I can."

Back to Danny, Nixie pats him on the chest as Scott hurries over to Alison. Sighing, she says, "Thank you. And because you'll want to thank me later, you're welcome. Enjoy the dance Danny." Danny gives her a confused look and asks, "Why am I going to want to thank…"

But Michael spins him around and kisses him gently before chuckling and says, "You're a good friend. It was nice of you to help her out." Danny grins back at Michael and says, "Thanks."

He glances back to where Nixie was standing, but she's already gone. Chuckling to himself, he says, "I'll catch her tomorrow."

Back on the bleachers, Nixie takes a seat and sighs as she watches the rest of the room. Scott has Alison, Danny has Michael, Coach is out of the way, Lydia and Stiles are dancing together… life is good.

Except Jackson is now unaccounted for. Frowning and glancing around, she walks down the bleachers and checks all the side doors and hallways, but he's not there either. Frown deepening, she even checks under the bleachers inside… but he's not there either.

Sighing, she then spots Stiles… now alone. Walking up to him, she asks, "Where's Lydia?" "She went to go find Jackson."

At Nixie's annoyed look, Stiles says, "It's not like that okay. We were actually having a really good time. But she saw him stumble out of here and she knew he was drinking… she's worried about him." Sighing, Nixie asks, "So did she find him?" "No idea. I'm calling him, but…"

They pause as Jackson reenters the hallway they're in. Sighing in relief, Stiles asks, "Where have you been? Did Lydia ever find you?"

But Jackson looks too shaken, and Nixie narrows her eyes and asks, "What?" He looks at her, and she knows it's bad when he starts stammering, "I… I was out behind the school and… I was out…" Stiles gives him a look and asks, "What happened?"

When Jackson still doesn't answer, he suddenly gasps from shock when Nixie grabs the front of his suit. Pinning him to the side of the wall, she demands, "Jackson, what did you do? And do not make me wait."

He explains that Argent found him, and he gave Scott away. Stiles is about to hurry away, but Nixie catches his arm and asks, "Lydia is out there?" "Yeah, why?" "Scott thought he saw Peter here earlier."

Stiles' eyes nearly bulge out of his head, and Nixie says, "Go and find her. I'll get Scott. Do it now." "On it."

Turning back to Jackson, she leans in close and asks, "Do I need to threaten you, or are you aware that if they hurt my boy I will literally try to break you in half." "I'm aware. So aware. They said they wouldn't hurt him." "And you believed them. Cute."

Dropping him on the floor, she rushes back into the dance. But Scott and Alison are nowhere to be found.

Damn it!

* * *

As she rounds the corner of the back of the school, she sees the cars parked on either side of a bus. Actually, in between two buses. High beams on. Revving their engines.

If they ran down Scott… damn. She was going to go to jail for a really long time. The list of people she was going to have to kill has gotten exceptionally long at this point.

Running towards them as they hit the gas, she shouts, "Scott jump!"

She's not sure if he heard her or if he was even technically there. But when she rounds the corner of the bus, she sees him standing on the hoods of both cars.

Face transformed. Claws out.

And Alison is in the bus. Staring at him. Shock and disbelief on her face.

Damn. This just got exceptionally more complicated.

* * *

Chapter 11! And Chapter 12 will hopefully be posted sometime tomorrow; the last and final chapter for this season. Dun, dun, dun... :)


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 12: Episode 1x12

It was like watching the most dramatic scene of a movie play out, except it was real. Scott's face as he looked from one driver to the other, and then back to Alison. Nixie didn't need to be any closer. She could feel his heart breaking from here.

Watching as the man in the white car begins to shift gears, Nixie shouts, "Scott move!" His eyes dart to hers, and she says, "Hurry!"

He leaps over the bus and onto the ground beside it. And as the white car begins backing up, maybe to find him and try running over him again, Nixie says, "Go Scott! Go! Get out of here! Now!"

He takes off at her command, but shouts back, "Alison!" "I got her!"

As Chris backs his red car out of the way, he blinks in surprise at seeing Nixie dart past the front of his car and to the doors of the bus. Alison falls out and into her arms.

Holding her up, Nixie says, "It's okay. It's okay." "No. Scott… he's…" "Having a bad night now. Exceptionally bad. But he's fine." "What?"

Nixie looks at Alison's shocked and turmoil filled face. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "It's fine."

Then she snaps her eyes up to Chris, who has stepped out of his car and is watching them. Taking Alison from Nixie, he says, "In the car. Now."

He helps Alison in, and then comes back to Nixie and says, "He's a werewolf." "No shit Sherlock." Leaning back at the anger in her eyes, he then says, "I knew he would jump out of the way."

Nixie marches right up in front of him and says, "Look me directly in the eye and tell me that you knew, without a doubt, that my boy was going to jump out of the way as your two cars drove together at high speed to try and crush him. Tell me that!"

He can't.

And then he finds himself punched in the face.

Alison gasps and steps out of the car again, but she doesn't try to interfere and Nixie wails on Chris's face and then kicks him in the gut when he falls to the ground.

Hands grab her arms to try and stop her from continuing. That was a huge mistake on their part. This wasn't like when the guys at school had pulled her off Jackson. She'd known she'd have to stop eventually before she was ready. But this… this was not school. This was real life. And it was Scott that they had just tried to run over with their cars.

Chris lifts his head from the ground, spitting blood as he does, only to find Nixie taking on his two other men as though she were the professional and they were the amateurs. She dislocated one man's knee, and elbowed him in the face, knocking him down. The next man was better, but Nixie simply ran up his body like they were stairs. Wrapping her legs around his neck, she managed to twist and flip them until he was on the ground beneath her. Then, when he still swung back at her, she broke his arm.

Standing up and wiping at her lip that was now bleeding, she turns back to Chris on the ground beside the bus. Bending down to his level, she glares at him and says, "Let me be as crystal clear as possible. Scott is mine. He is my boy. And if he dies tonight, and I find out that you had any part to play in making that happen…"

Chris raises an eyebrow and asks, "You'll kill me?" "No. But by the time I'm finished, you will wish I had." His eyes widen at that, but Nixie just nods and says, "I am not a person to piss off lightly Argent. And if Scott or any of my true friends die tonight because of you, there will be no end to the pain I reign down and you and everyone in your little hunter family."

Glancing at Alison, Nixie adds, "Except her. I still like her."

Rising to her feet, she walks over to Alison and says, "I can't stay. I have to go. Just know that he didn't pick this. There wasn't a choice given to him. His normal life was ripped away from him by another werewolf." Squeezing Alison's hands, she adds, "I have faith in you Alison. Don't let me down."

And with that, she takes off back into the school, hoping to find Stiles and Lydia back inside already.

And that's when she gets a call from Stiles. "Stiles? Where are you? I'm back in the school but I don't see…" "I'm on the lacrosse field." "What? Why?"

Silence, and then Stiles says, "Listen, Peter hurt Lydia. She needs help. Like… hospital type help. But I can't get her there. So you have to." "Stiles… what are you…" "I have to go. Peter will kill her if I don't. Just… just take care of Lydia."

He hangs up on her, and Nixie feels like if she were strong enough she would've crushed the phone in her hand. Instead she shoves it into the pocket of her dress, pulls out the clip for her hair, pins it up, and then takes off outside again so she can get to the field.

Stiles and Peter are gone before she gets there, but Lydia is left on the ground, bleeding and freezing.

Hurriedly sliding down next to her, she turns Lydia's head gently and says, "Lydia. Lydia, look at me. Open your eyes and look at me."

There's a brief fluttering of her eyes, and then Lydia asks softly, "Nix… Nixie?" "Yeah! I'm here! I'm here!" "I… I'm so cold." "I know. I know. I promise I'm gonna fix that."

But Nixie can't do everything. And as much as she wants to help Lydia, and get her to a hospital… she can't just leave Stiles with Peter on his own. So she picks Lydia up while dialing on her phone the only other number she can think to call right now.

"Hello?" "Jackson. Get your ass out to the lacrosse field. I'll meet you halfway." "What? Why…" "Lydia is very possibly dying, and I can't get her to the hospital. I'll call them and have them on their way. Meet me half way and get her to the front of the school. Now Jackson!"

He hangs up as his response, but even though she considers him a despicable human being… she finds him running towards her a few minutes later, even past the point where she told him to meet her at.

Eyes widening at Lydia, he asks, "What happened?" "Never mind that. Get her to the school. An ambulance should meet you there any second now. Run with her Jackson. Fast." "I'm on it."

He takes off with her at a sprint, and for once Nixie is happy that she had kept Jackson's number in her phone.

Then she pulls up the GPS locator website on her phone. Stiles didn't have that capability on his phone, but she had it on hers. Punching in Stiles number and information, she finds Stiles location, moving down a street.

Running to the back of the school where she and Scott stashed their bikes, she hikes up her dress and pedals as hard as she can, hoping to cut them off at one of the intersections that the bike paths merge with.

When she sees the jeep sitting briefly at a stop sign, she lowers herself on the bike, and then grabs onto the back and lets the jeep pull her with it after them down the road.

Peter, on the inside, suddenly feels Stiles become less agitated, his emotions easing with a bit of relief. Looking at him, Peter asks, "What just happened?" "What? What do you…" "You feel better. Calmer. What happened?" "I don't know what you're talking about, I just…"

Peter grabs his shirt front, and is about to drag him forward. Then he hears something hit the back of the jeep window. Turning to glance back, he then smirks when he sees Nixie sitting there. "Impressive. Pullover for a moment Stiles."

Stiles does as Peter says, and then steps out and dashes back to Nixie. "He wants you to get in. Says we shouldn't make you ride your bike all the way to where we're going. But you should go find Scott. He needs…" "Scott isn't in danger at this moment. You are. And I'm getting in and sitting between the two of you." "What? Nixie, that'll be cramped and it won't be…"

Grabbing his arms, she says, "I don't care about comfort right now. He doesn't get to sit right next to you. Now, let's get back in and fill me in on what we're doing." "Right."

Stiles tells her that they're trying to find Derek by GPS using Scott's lost phone that Stiles is pretty sure Derek took during their last fight. Nixie conveniently doesn't tell either of them that she could do it right here and now with her phone. Instead she glances over at Peter, who is watching her with amused and fascinated eyes. Baring her teeth at him, she says, "Make no mistake. I can and will kill you." "It's cute that you think that." "It's cute that you don't think I can."

He smirks, and then they sit in silence the rest of the way.

When they pull into the parking lot and Stiles scrambles out, Peter is already around the car, about to grab him by the back of his shirt. Nixie, now wearing Stiles' suit jacket that he'd given her to put on, slides out of the jeep and puts herself in Peter's path, daring him to grab Stiles. He grins at her again, and then traces her face with one long claw before saying, "I definitely should've started with you."

When they get to the back of a gray car, Stiles asks, "Whose car is this?" Peter, unlocking it, says, "It belonged to my nurse."

Nixie tries to reach forward to tell Stiles that he shouldn't ask, but Stiles asks anyway, "What happened to your nurse?"

And that's when the trunk opens, and they see the dead nurse inside, one arm over the laptop. Pulling it out and tossing it to Stiles, Peter glances between them and the dead nurse, and then says, "I got better."

And even though Nixie was a firm believer that there was always time for sarcasm… this was most definitely not a time that needed it.

As Peter pulls out the computer and starts unlocking it to pull up the website, Stiles comments, "Good luck getting a signal down here." Peter just hands him a tiny device and Stiles huffs and says, "Ah, MiFi." And as the computer boots up, Nixie says, "And he's a Mac guy. What at the odds?" Peter grins and says, "Definitely should've started with you."

Stiles glares at him now and says, "Stop saying that. It's freaking me out." Nixie puts herself between them before Peter can touch Stiles, if he were to try, and then glances back at Stiles and asks, "Of all the things to be freaked out about right now, that's the thing that's doing it?" "Currently, yes!"

Peter steps back and says, "Get on. Get connected. Do it now."

Nixie narrows her eyes at him, but then steps over so Stiles can see the computer. As he hooks up the MiFi, Stiles adds, "Look, you still need Scott's username and password, and I'm sorry but I don't know them." Peter narrows his eyes and says, "You know both of them." "No, I don't." "Even if I couldn't hear your heartbeat, I would still be able to tell you're lying Stiles."

Stiles huffs and says, "Look, I swear to God…"

Peter reaches out his arm, aiming for past Nixie and for Stiles head.

He's surprised, very surprised, when he misses.

Or… not misses. He would've had Stiles by the back of the throat if Nixie had taken just a second longer to block his path. But she didn't. She got in the way.

And now he had her, by the front of her throat, shoving her and pinning her against the back of the car.

Stiles flails and makes to possibly do something, like hit Peter or try to hurt him or something. But Nixie's free arm launches out and grabs him, holding him still and in place at the computer.

Her other hand is holding Peter's, which is still at her throat. He's not squeezing yet, but he could. Glancing at Stiles, Peter says, "See… I can be very persuasive Stiles. Don't make me persuade you."

Stiles looks down at Nixie, who shakes her head minutely to try and tell him not to listen. But when he sees Peter's claws extend from his fingernails, Stiles gets back on the computer and says, "I'm sorry Nix, I'm sorry." "It's alright Stiles. Don't freak out. Take a breath and calm down." "I… I'm not as good with this as you are. I…" "You remember the cite you need to go to?" "Yeah." "Type it in. I can walk you through it."

As she walks him through it, Stiles asks, "What happens after you find Derek?" Peter snarls and says, "Don't think Stiles. Type."

Nixie kicks him in the gut… hard. It still doesn't dislodge Peter's hold on her throat, and it doesn't really knock him back all that far this time, but she hadn't actually been trying for that. His eyes glowed red down at her when he turned back, but she simply glared up at him. Then she said, "If you want him to find Derek and find him fast, then you let Stiles talk as much as he wants. He works faster and better when you aren't hindering him from his ability to speculate."

Peter's eyes slowly stop glowing, and Stiles sighs before continuing with his speech and saying, "You're going to kill people, aren't you?" Peter sighs and says, "Only the responsible ones." Stiles turns to him and says, "Look… if I do this… you have to promise to leave Scott out of it." Sighing, Peter says, "Do you know why wolves hunt in packs? It's because their favored prey are too large to be brought down by one wolf alone. I need Derek and Scott. I need both of them."

Stiles types again, but says, "He's not going to help you." Peter smirks and says, "Oh yes, he will. Because it will save Alison. And you will… because it will save Scott… and your little friend here, who I'm still willing to choke to death." Stiles glares at him, but Nixie nudges him and says, "Just keep going Stiles. I'm fine."

He goes back to work, but then Peter turns to Nixie when she asks, "What do you mean?" "About which part?" "How will this save Scott?" Peter tilts his head at her, and then says, "When they catch him, and they will, do you really think that they're going to let him live? Especially after having been so close to one of their own?"

Shaking his head, Peter adds, "Nixie, all of the power, is in your hands now. It's your choice. So… are you going to save him? Your best friend… your 'boy', whom you know so well, that even you also know his username and password." Raising an eyebrow at him, Nixie says, "First of all, the power is in Stiles' hands. He's the one typing."

Leaning up as much as she can, pushing against his hand on her throat, surprising him yet again, she says through her teeth, "And I don't need you to save him. As soon as we're done here, I will protect him on my own. And we'll find a way to save Alison. And we won't have to kill anyone to do it."

Peter chuckles at her and says, "Oh… you are feisty aren't you." "You have no idea."

Then she glances over at Stiles and says, "Just do it."

So Stiles punches it in, and Peter gives them both a look when he says, "His username is Alison." And as Stiles keeps typing, Peter rolls his eyes and says, "His password is also Alison." Stiles nods and asks, "Still want him in your pack?" Nixie grins at Stiles, but then winces as Peter shoves her back down against the trunk.

Back to Stiles, Peter asks, "And…" Stiles glances from him to Nixie, and then back to Peter, who is clearly waiting on where Derek is. Shrugging slightly, Stiles says, "It's loading…"

Nixie smirks a little and says, "MiFi… not an exceptionally reliable source for internet purposes. Especially not in the bottom of a parking garage." The hand on her throat tightens slightly, but Nixie knows she's still okay for now. She's not bruised. Yet.

Stiles suddenly taps at the keyboard again, and then asks, "Wait, what? That's where they're keeping him." Confused, Nixie asks, "Where?" "It's the Hale property? It's Derek's own house."

Letting her own head fall back against the trunk, she asks, "Well shit. Why the fuck couldn't we find him then?"

But as Peter stares at the screen, his eyes clear and he smirks slightly before saying, "Not at it. Under it."

Looking to Peter again, Stiles asks, "What? What's under it?" "The tunnel and basement that I used to escape the fire. And I know exactly where that is. Pack the computer, would you?" As Stiles does as he says, they all hear the loud howl that sounds through the night air. Nixie manages to turn her head to the side where it comes from as Peter says, "And I'm not the only one."

Grinning, Nixie says, "Scott."

The hand on her throat tightens again, and then Peter looks to Stiles and says, "Now leave." "What? But…"

He lets go of Nixie, but as she rights herself and stands up, preparing to follow Stiles, he grabs her by the back of her jacket and whispers just loud enough for her to here, "You stay. Or I'll kill him."

She freezes, but then looks to Stiles and says, "He's right. Go Stiles." "What?! What about you?" "Leave my bike. I have somewhere else I need to be before I catch up to Scott. But you have to help him. Check on Lydia first, but if Scott's not already there by the time you are, you need to go find him and help him. Go! Now!"

Stiles scrambles to get her bike from back, and then takes off in his jeep, glancing back at Nixie one more time before disappearing around the curve.

Sighing, relieved that Stiles is now gone, she spins around to Peter and asks, "What the fuck do you want?" He grins and says, "You've been very helpful tonight. And I've been serious from the start. I should've started my new pack with you." "Too fucking bad you didn't choose me then." "You curse a lot when you're agitated." "No. I curse a lot when I'm pissed as hell, which I happen to be right now."

Peter steps closer to her, and she takes a step back. From the corner of her eye, she sees a crowbar sitting beneath a black SUV.

Back to Peter, she says, "You still haven't answered my question. What do you want?" "In short dear, I want you." Blinking in confusion, she asks, "What?" "I want you… to be in my pack. The bite would do wonders for you. You'd be stronger. You could actually prove to put up a decent fight against me or Derek if you ever needed to. Hell, I bet you'd be even stronger than Scott already is. And your loyalty… that's unmistakable. I need someone as loyal as you in my pack. You'd be the perfect addition. What do you say? Will you accept the bite? Become a part of the pack? Become like me?"

Nixie glares and says, "I will never be like you. No. The answer is hell no."

Peter frowns slightly, but then shrugs and says, "I don't care."

He lunges at her, teeth extending and mouth opening to bite her before she can fight back.

But Nixie was already prepared to fight back. And werewolf or not… getting kicked in the balls as hard as you could be kicked was not something you could just immediately walk away from. Peter's eyes widened more than she'd ever seen, and as she continues her assault by punching him in the gut and slamming her elbow into his face, she watches as his whole body crumbled for a moment as he faltered and fell past her onto the ground.

Nixie knew she only had seconds. He was a werewolf and she'd knocked him down, but he wouldn't stay there. So she dove for the crowbar on the ground, span back around, and then launched herself at Peter. Taking the crowbar in both hands, she brought it back down again and again, hitting him as hard as she could in as many places as she could find to hit him. His head, his stomach, his shoulder, his legs, his head again. She hit him as many times as she could manage, hoping against hope that she could maybe knock him out for a moment, just long enough for her to get away.

She had no such luck. She was about to hit him again, when a wolfed-out hand snatched the crowbar out of the air, broke it in half, and then threw the two pieces of scrap metal away. Then Nixie felt that same hand slap against her, shoving her down the lane between the lines of cars and into the concrete wall at the end.

Falling down and hitting the ground, putting a hand to her head as trying to move again brings too much pain, she then finds herself flipped onto her back and pinned to the ground by the giant alpha that is Peter.

Snarling at her, he says, "You shouldn't have done that. You could've been like me." "I will never be like you! And neither will Scott! You can't change him! I know him! He's good and he won't help you kill people and he'll find a way to stop you! He will!"

Peter growls down into her face, making her cringe and wince and try to shrink into the ground beneath her. It's a wonder her eardrums haven't burst. Then his voice is at her ear when he says evilly, "Perhaps you're right about yourself. You are rather strong willed. You probably wouldn't end up needing me the way Scott does. In fact, maybe Scott would turn to you instead. And that would be dangerous."

He chuckles in her ear though and he says, "But I can still use you… to serve another purpose of mine. Scott doesn't think I'll touch any of you. He thinks that I'll just patiently wait long enough for him to kill you. Well… let's see what he thinks of this."

Before Nixie can question what he thinks he's going to do, she feels him pull the jacket she's wearing apart so it no longer covered her front. And then claws were digging into her stomach. And for a moment, Nixie knew she could take it in silence. She grit her teeth, clenched her eyes, and was determined to not scream from the pain in the stab wound he'd just given her.

And then he started slowly and painfully carving a curve onto her stomach, the path of it long and wide.

And painful. Nixie held out for about another second, and then her eyes burst open, her teeth parted with her lips… and she screamed.

Something shifted. She wasn't sure what, or why, or how. But something changed. She wasn't even sure how she knew that. And considering she didn't have any idea what is was… it didn't make any sense for her to think that.

But something did. And as she screamed again, tears falling down the sides of her temples as she cried from the pain, she heard thunder and lightning crash somewhere nearby as rain began to pour down over top of the garage they were in.

When Peter finishes, he shifts back into his normal human self and smirks down at her. Chuckling, he bends down to kiss the side of her face, licking away one of her tears. And then he says, "Do deliver that to Scott for me. Tell him I'm eagerly awaiting his reply."

And he leaves her there, bleeding and hurt, on the concrete ground of the parking garage.

Nixie is sad to say that for a moment she couldn't move. She was honestly afraid to. She was afraid that if she did… she'd make it worse. She'd bleed out on the ground. Or her head would spin again and she'd just fall straight back on the ground.

But after a moment, she finally took a breath and wiped at her damp face. Rolling onto her side, wincing at the pain in her stomach, she finally got herself to her feet. There was blood on the ground from where Peter had carved into her. There was also blood on the ground near her bike, where she'd tried to beat Peter into unconsciousness.

Note to self… werewolves are really freaking hard to knock out.

Putting a hand to her stomach, she feels inside her pocket for the one other thing she'd brought with her tonight besides her phone and the clip for her hair.

The duct-tape. She had brought it just in case Scott needed a last minute fix for his suit again. But now… it was going to serve a very different purpose.

It was going to be a bitch to get off. She knew that. But she didn't have time to actually go and find the kind of help she'd need before Scott and Stiles would need her. So… she had to do this.

Tugging off the jacket again, hanging it on her bike handles, she ripped off the part of her dress that was already torn to shreds in the front. Balling it up, she placed it over the wound, praying that it would soak up most of the blood and not get too much on Stiles jacket. She couldn't be bleeding through when she found them later. They might insist she leave to get help for herself rather than help them. She wasn't about to let them do that.

Taking strips of duct-tape, she then pressed it down as firmly and tightly as she could over the cloth and onto her skin. It was tricky at first. The duck-tape didn't want to stick with all the blood on her stomach. But she managed to wipe enough away that it finally began working. And once she was certain she had a good enough seal, she buttoned Stiles' jacket back up and sighed before hopping onto her bike.

Taking one more breath, she says, "Alright. Now to the Hale house. This should really be interesting."

* * *

As Nixie travels at what she considers to be light-speed down the bike path to the Hale house, she sees a figure in the shadows dart towards something beyond the front of the property. Chasing after it, she nearly crashes when she makes too sharp a turn, just barely getting her foot down to the ground in time to keep from falling. Picking back up and heading that way, she hurdles over a hill and lands hard in the leaves and branches below, until she loses sight of the figure and can only try to guess at where he's gone. She can also only hope that it's Scott at this point. Because seeing Peter again right now would be a really, really bad way to end the night.

It doesn't take her long though. Following after the figure had given her a good idea about which way to go, so finding the entrance to the tunnel wasn't so hard after that. Dashing inside and sprinting down the tunnels, she only pauses when she nears the doorway, and hears Derek say, "Scott, help me with this."

Thank God. Derek was still alive.

And then Scott says, "No." Pausing at the edge of the door, she listens to their conversation as Derek asks, "What?" "Not until you tell me how to stop Peter." Glaring at Scott, Derek asks, "You really want to talk about this right now?" Scott nods and says, "He's going after Alison and her family. He's going to kill them." "So what?!"

"So we are trying very hard to avoid killing anybody else, you dumbass."

Scott spins around to see Nixie there. Walking up to him, she asks, "You okay?" "I'm fine. But we need to know how to stop Peter." Back to Derek, he says, "So tell me how to stop him." Derek grits his teeth for a moment, and then says, "You can't! Alright! Now… I don't know when Kate's coming back, so just get me out of this right now!"

"Kate?" Derek turns to Nixie, and at the confusion on her face, he explains, "Kate's been keeping me here. I'm pretty sure Chris doesn't know either, because she keeps ignoring his calls while she's down here." Nixie glares at the fuse box on the table, and the attachments that had been taped to Derek's side a moment ago. Gritting her own teeth now, she says, "I knew I didn't like that bitch."

Scott looks to Derek again and says, "Promise you'll help me, and I'll get you out." Glaring at Scott, Derek asks, "You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend, huh? For your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing? You're not in love, Scott. You're sixteen years old. You're a child."

And then he finds himself punched in the face. So aggravated, Derek nearly wolfs out. But when he meets Nixie's heated gaze, he calms and says, "I'm…" "You don't know a fucking thing. And you sure as hell don't get to talk to him that way, particularly while I'm standing here."

Turning back to Scott as he says, "Maybe he's right," Nixie cups his face in her hands. Brushing her thumbs against his cheeks, she says, "You are more mature and caring and worthy of all this power than either of them combined. Peter is a psychopath. Derek… is alright sometimes but needs to get a serious grip."

Derek makes a disgruntled sound behind her, but she ignores him. Making sure Scott is looking at her, she says, "You are not a child. You have stepped up. You are trying to protect everyone, even those few that are trying to hurt you for it in the process. You're even better than me, because you're trying to protect Jackson too, and I'm not above leaving his ass out to dry."

Scott grins slightly, and Nixie smiles back before saying, "Don't listen to him. Listen to me." "Okay."

Then he looks back up at Derek and says, "Besides, you don't know everything yet. I know something you don't."

Nixie leans back at that, because even she didn't know that. Scott nods and says, "Peter said he didn't know what he was doing when he killed your sister, right? He lied." Holding up a piece of paper, the same one Nixie had briefly seen in the animal clinic on Deaton's desk, Scott then asks, "Remember this?"

As he holds it up for Derek to see, Nixie's phone goes off. Seeing Stiles on the other end, she says to Scott, "Talk to him. And you…" She points at Derek and says, "I'll hit you again if you don't get a fucking grip on your temper. We're saving your ass here. Show some gratitude."

Stepping back into the hall, she answers, "Yeah? How's Lydia?" "Um… Nix… I need you to do me a favor…" "Anything. You know that. What?" "Um… I'm kind of being manhandled by Chris and two other guys. So… if you could just back up what I'm saying… that would be…"

Stiles stops talking when Nixie says in a slow and low and dangerous tone of voice, "Hand him the phone."

Glancing at Chris, he slowly reaches it out and says, "She uh… she wants to talk to you."

Chris takes it and says, "What?" "What did you do to Stiles?" "Nixie… I don't have time…" "WHAT DID YOU DO TO STILES?!" He cringes from the way her voice rings in his ear, and then sighs and says, "Nothing. We just need answers. I need to know where Scott is. But more importantly right now, I need to know if Stiles is right." "ABOUT WHAT?!" "He says Kate burned down Derek's property."

Nixie pauses, and then says, "Give Stiles his phone back."

Chris hands it back to Stiles, who asks, "Yeah?" "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Explain it to me."

Stiles goes over the details that his dad gave him, about it definitely being arson and who all was involved with it. And a young woman, who wore a distinctive pendant, who was in charge of the whole thing. Nixie sighs and says, "The necklace Alison now has. Kate gave it to her as a present… I remember that… she showed it to me once. Hand the phone back to Argent."

Stiles hands it over, and before Chris can ask, Nixie says, "Yes, your bitch of a sister burned down an entire house full of innocent people. Burned them alive. So much for your God damn moral code. Now give me back to Stiles."

Chris hesitates, and then asks, "Are you…" "Yes, I'm fucking sure. Give. Me. Back. To. Stiles."

He hands it over, and Stiles asks, "Yeah?" "Are you hurt?" "Not yet. Just manhandled a little. No new bruises though." "Good. Now hand me back to Argent. This is the last time, I promise."

Stiles holds it out, and at Chris' bewildered expression, Stiles says, "She promises this is the last time."

Taking it, Chris asks carefully, "Yeah?" "Argent. Stiles was kidnapped by Peter tonight. Peter would've hurt my boy. Peter threatened to kill Stiles. Peter is an alpha werewolf who is hunting humans. Now, I believe you said that your moral code was to hunt those who hunt us. Is that correct?" "Yes." "Then how about instead of harassing my already harassed friend, you do your fucking job and help kill the God damn alpha that is ruining everyone's lives!"

Pausing, Chris then says, "Where is he?" "Who?" "Peter." "I don't fucking know. Probably on his way here." "Which is where?" "Hale property. And so help me if you shoot anyone aside from Peter, I will…" "You'll kill me. Yeah, I'm starting to see a trend there."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie says, "I'm hanging up now. Goodbye Argent."

Hanging up, she turns back to the room, only to find Scott and Derek staring at her. "What?" Scott shrugs and says, "I was just kind of scared you were going to still be pissed when you turned around. I've never heard you curse so many times in a row." Nixie shrugs and says, "I'm having a very stressful day. As soon as Peter is dead, my day will improve immensely."

Glancing at Derek, she points and asks, "Helping or not?" "He's helping." "Excellent. In that case…"

She moves over to him and drapes one of his arms over her shoulders. Smiling up at him, she says, "Welcome back to the land of the sane. Please stay this time." Derek grins slightly, if not wearily, and then says, "I'll see what I can do." "Not very promising at the moment, but I'll take it."

When they finally get outside and into the open air, climbing back up the hill to his house, Derek slows down and says, "Hold on. Hold on a second." Turning back and glancing at the woods with him, Nixie asks, "What? You hear something?" "No… just…"

Scott asks, "What?" "Something doesn't feel right." Nixie shrugs at Scott when he looks at her, and then he asks Derek, "What do you mean?" Rolling his eyes, still tired, Derek says, "I mean… something doesn't feel right. It's like… getting out of that hole… making it out here… it's all too…"

And at the same time, Nixie and Scott say, "Don't say too easy." He looks at both of them in confusion, so Scott says, "People say it's too easy, and bad things happen." Nixie nods and says, "Pretty sure it's a scientifically proven fact at this point."

Scott nods and says, "And besides, what, do you think finding you was easy? Getting away from Alison's dad?" Nixie nods and adds, "Getting away from Peter?" Scott points and says, "Exactly! None of this has been easy. So if things are going right for, like, two seconds, can we just not question it?" Nixie nods, until Derek says, "I smell blood."

Which she plays off as, "That's probably on me. Peter had blood all over him when he had me and Stiles. Probably got on me."

They both accept that explanation, thank God. And then Derek sighs and says, "Fine. You're right."

But as they start moving again, Nixie feels it. She might've been a tad bit slower to feel it… but she feels it. Something doesn't feel right.

And that's when the arrow whizzes by, and Derek is shot in the arm. Spinning around to look at him, Nixie says, "Shit!"

Scott sees Alison, hears Kate tell her to then shoot Derek in the leg. And as she does and Derek goes down, Nixie slides beneath him to catch his head.

He looks up at her in appreciation, but then shouts, "Scott! Your eyes!" The flash bolt that goes off is a bright flash in the dark night, and Nixie has to blink away that flash quickly. Both werewolves with her are more sensitive to it, which means they need her to help them get out of here.

As Derek yanks the arrow from his shoulder, Nixie jerks the one out of his leg. He snarls at the pain, but Nixie knows he's not snarling at her. Then he grabs her arm and hauls her up, and then does the same to Scott and says, "Come on. Get up! Let's go!"

But Derek can't go much farther. He makes it to the lawn and then shoves Scott and Nixie in front of him and says, "Go! Just go!"

But Scott can't go far either, unable to really see anything yet. And then Alison is approaching.

Arrows. Should've guessed it was Alison. Damn it.

Scott winces and tries to see, and then says, "Alison I can explain." "Stop lying. For once stop lying." Scott scrambles backwards into Nixie and says, "I was gonna tell you the truth at the formal. I was gonna tell you everything. Because everything that I said, everything that I did…"

Alison gives a wry smile and says, "Was to protect me." "Yes!"

Silence for a moment, and then Alison says, "I don't believe you."

Nixie then snaps her eyes to Kate when she says, "Thank God. Now, shoot him before I have to shoot myself." Alison gives her a confused look and says, "You… you said we were just going to catch them?" "We did that. Now we're gonna kill them."

And without any other kind of warning, Kate shoots Derek in the chest at almost point-blank range. "See? Not that hard."

But Kate's words were drowned out by Nixie screaming, "NO!"

Staring at Derek's now lifeless body, she scrambles and puts herself in front of Scott. "Nixie… what are you…" "Shut up Scott!" Alison turns to see her, eyes widening at Nixie, and she says, "What are you doing?! Move! She'll…"

Nixie glares at Alison and says, "Shoot me or back the hell off!" Kate comes up to Alison's side, glances between Alison and Scott, and then says, "Oh… I know that look. That's the… you're gonna have to do it yourself look."

And Alison does try to stop Kate as she turns around. She'd really just wanted to catch them… not kill them. But Kate pushes Alison down, and points the gun directly at Nixie's chest. Scott grabs her shoulder and says, "Nixie! You…" "Shut up!"

Kate smirks and says, "I'd listen to him sweetheart. You need to move. You're human, and I've got no beef with you yet. But I will shoot through you to get to him." "Then shoot me."

Her smirk falters, and Kate says, "But…" "You'd better shoot me. Because if you don't kill me, and you end up killing him, there is no place on this God forsaken planet that you can go that I won't find you. And when I do, I will kill you."

Standing up, toe to toe with Kate, Nixie says, "So either back the hell off, and remember that you have a code you're supposed to follow… or just fucking shoot me."

And Kate would've. Nixie had seen her finger move to the trigger. She'd seen that she was ready to shoot her to get to Scott.

That's when Chris' voice shouted, "Kate!"

They all turn to look at him as he steps out into the open. Gun at his side, eyes on Kate, he says, "I know what you did. Put the gun down." But Kate doesn't move it. She just says, "I did what I was told to do." Shaking his head, Chris says, "No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house, ones who were human. Look what you're doing now! You're holding a gun at a sixteen year old werewolf boy, and a fifteen year old human girl… with no proof that either has spilled human blood."

Taking a breath, he says, "We go by the code. Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent."

Nixie doesn't take her eyes off Kate, or the gun, but she hears Alison on the ground nearby gasp and say, "We hunt those who hunt us."

Kate turns back to Nixie, raising the gun again and putting her finger to the trigger again, preparing to squeeze. And that's when Chris raises his own gun… pointing it at Kate.

He watches as Nixie's eyes turn to him, confused and… also sorry. Nixie had never liked Kate… from the beginning had done nothing to hide it. But she still knew that Kate was Chris' sister.

And he was forced to hold a gun to her in order to try and make her see reason.

And to emphasize that he would, he shot directly past her head, and at the tree behind her. And everyone knows he didn't miss. Kate turns back to him slowly as he says, "Put the gun down… before I put you down."

Kate slowly lowers her weapon. Nixie takes a deep breath, careful to not make it look too obvious that she's relieved. Reaching back for Scott and pulling him to his feet, they all then turn when the door of the house creaks open.

Chris changes directions and says, "Alison get back." And then he watches as Scott grips Nixie's elbow and says, "Nix…" "I've got her."

Dashing over to Alison, Nixie pulls her off the ground and says, "Get behind me." Terrified right now, Alison asks, "What is it?" And as Nixie glances over to see Scott's eyes glowing, she sighs and says, "It's the God damn alpha. One with serious anger management issues."

And as the dark figure darts around the yard, too fast for anyone to shoot right now, Nixie tries to back Alison up so her back is to the tree.

Chris goes down first, quickly flipped head or heels and onto his back with a thump.

Nixie goes second, and she hears a voice in her ear whisper, "Foolish girl," before she's ripped away from Alison and thrown into the railing of the porch.

She hears Scott growl in anger, but then he's knocked down too, and Alison follows soon after her, her bow skidding along the ground somewhere.

Kate screams for him to come on, but for a moment nothing happens.

Then Peter stops running, and catches her wrist with the gun. Holding it steady, letting Kate shoot off a couple rounds near, but not actually at him, he then breaks her arm. Then he throws her onto the porch and then proceeds to drag her into the old and burned down house.

Alison cries, "No!" Nixie glances at her as she scrambles up and says, "Alison, stay down!" But Alison moves anyway, running inside to try and save her demented aunt. Sighing, Nixie hauls her aching body off the ground and runs in after her.

Alison's currently staring at Peter in what might've once been the living room, his claws out and poised against Kate's throat as he holds her tightly against him. Tilting his head, he says, "Oh… your niece is beautiful Kate. She looks like you. But probably not as damaged. So I'm going to give you a chance to save her."

Nixie inches a little closer inside, catching Alison's eye at a sideways glance. She remains hidden for now, but Alison knows that Nixie will move in a split second to help her if she can.

Peter then says, in what sounds like a sincerely broken and heartfelt voice, "Apologize Kate. Say that you're sorry for decimating my family, for leaving me burned and broken for six years. Say it Kate. Say it. And I'll let her live."

It takes entirely too long for Nixie's liking, but she finally hears Kate say the words, "I'm sorry."

And then blood is gushing, skin is tearing, and Nixie jumps as Alison suddenly steps forward and into the room. Moving to grab Alison's wrist, dragging her back and away from Peter, Nixie sees Kate now lying on the floor, her throat slashed open and bleeding out. Yep… she was dead.

Nixie only feels sorry about that because Alison had to watch it. She'll probably feel worse about it later. As threatening as she herself was… Nixie didn't actually want anyone to die. She still wasn't above it. Her threats were very real. But… well, it's not like she actually wanted to have to kill somebody and go to jail. That would just be stupid.

Peter sighs, almost looking relieved. Then he says, "I don't know about you Alison, but that apology… didn't sound very sincere."

Dragging Alison back faster, Nixie says, "You have to go through me." "I believe I've proven I can do that." Nixie smirks and says, "You'd like to think so." But as he steps forward, Scott appears in one corner of the room.

And Derek appears in the other. Nixie sighs a breath of relief at the sight of him, and he glances back at her and nods. Then both of the boys say, "Run!"

Nixie drags Alison out of the house with her, back onto the lawn where Chris is still recovering. Dropping down to help him, Alison shakes him and says, "Dad. Dad… Dad!" Nixie shakes him too, and then slaps him in the face. Still nothing.

Alison looks at her with wide eyes, and Nixie shrugs and says, "What? It's worked before."

Then Scott get thrown out the window, and Nixie gets up to maybe help. But this time Alison grabs her wrist and says, "No. Stay with me." "Alison… still love you… but let me go."

Peter comes out after Scott… wolfed out and ugly as hell. He drags Scott up off the ground, holding him off his feet.

Nixie smiles though when Scott kicks and shoves off of Peter's chest, doing a backflip before landing back on the ground. "That's my boy."

As Peter rises to his feet, preparing to attack again, Nixie looks over to where… Jackson's car is driving in? Why the hell is Jackson driving…

Oh. As Stiles hurries out of the driver's seat, she understands. And as Stiles throws a bottle from the chem lab at Peter, even as Peter catches it in his hand, she knows what it is. Stiles had taken her Molotov Cocktail idea seriously, and had made one that would work.

Scott sees it too, and then shouts, "Alison!"

Tossing her bow towards her, Alison actually almost misses it.

But Nixie doesn't. She catches it and shoves it into Alison's hands and says, "Hit the glass. Now."

Alison draws back, and just as Peter is preparing to throw the bottle at them, she hits it. And low and behold… Peter's entire left arm catches on fire. Beaming, Nixie shouts, "Yes! Good job Stiles!"

Peter turns towards them, towards Alison, and starts trying to charge forward. Alison scrambles backwards, but then looks up as Nixie puts herself in front of her again. Glaring at Peter, Nixie seriously thinks at this point she could take him. She'd end up singed, but what the hell, right?

Thankfully, she doesn't have to find out though. Scott shouts, "No!" and then slashes across Peter's chest and knocks him back and away from the girls. Sighing in relief, she bends down and reaches back for Alison, who grips her hand back like it's a lifeline right now. Then Jackson throws the extra beaker of Molotov Cocktail at Peter the same way Stiles had, and this time Peter can't catch it. Now his whole body goes up in flames.

Peter, burned and scorched again, ends up collapsing on the ground. Rising to her full height, Nixie squeezes Alison's hand and says, "Go ahead." Alison glances at her, and then smiles just slightly, before moving up to be with Scott. Nixie stays with Chris for now, but doesn't stop watching as Alison, even while Scott is still wolfed out, gently turns his face to look at her, and then gently kisses him.

When they pull apart, Scott's face now back to normal, he asks softly, "Why did you do that?" And Alison says just as softly, "Because I love you."

Ah… and love conquers all. Ain't it a grand thing. And even as Chris finally gets up, looking at the two of them… he doesn't actually say anything to stop their moment, considering Scott had defeated the alpha.

Well, with a little help on the side.

Glancing at Nixie, Chris asks, "What happened?" "We did your job for you. Duh."

He sighs, but the pauses and even grins when Nixie says, "Don't worry Chris. As I told your daughter, I accept good hugs and Reese cups as methods of thanks."

She was saying his first name again. At least that was something.

Of course, as is usual in her life now… nothing good can go so long without something bad happening. And as Derek marches over to his uncle, still alive, but barely as he lays there on the ground, Nixie frowns and knows this is about to get bad.

"Scott…"

He turns when Nixie says his name, and she gestures to Derek in warning. Scott scrambles over and says, "Wait! Derek… you said the cure comes from the one who bit you."

Derek does pause, and Scott adds, "Derek, if you do this… I'm dead. Her father, her family… what am I supposed to do?!"

But as Derek sits there… possibly contemplating, Nixie hears Peter's burnt and cracked voice say, "You've already decided. I can smell it on you."

And with those final words, Derek raises a clawed hand, and though Scott shouts for him to wait… Derek slashes Peter's throat wide open.

And apparently, when you kill an alpha… you take their power. How convenient.

As Derek turns to them, eyes now glowing red, he says, "I'm the alpha now."

Silence reigns for a moment in the yard. So long in fact that Nixie finds it incredibly too uncomfortable.

Finally, she says, "Well that's just freaking peachy. Congratulations Derek. Now you are once again off of the list of people who can call me when they need help. Good job."

He doesn't seem surprised, though he does look a little saddened by it. Nixie then looks at Scott and asks, "You good?" "Yeah." To Stiles and Jackson, she asks, "Good?"

Jackson blinks in surprise, but Stiles just gives her a thumbs up and says, "We're fine. Him included."

Then she turns to Alison and Chris, and asks, "Good?" Alison looks at her for a moment, and then asks, "What if I'm not?" Nixie sighs and says, "Not sure. You like ice cream?" Blinking, Alison asks, "What?" "Ice cream. This thing that's cold and tastes really good. People eat it when they're feeling bad. You like ice cream?"

Chris watches as Alison finally smiles just a little, and then nods her head. Nodding back, Nixie walks over and says, "Alright, so here's what we're going to do. I'm assuming you're still not fond of Scott?"

She says this to Chris, who says, "I'm… undecided." "We'll work on that. But you're okay with me, yeah?" "Yes." "Good. So you and Alison are going to go to his gas mart that is open twenty-four-seven. Same one that I saw you at when you bashed in Derek's window. You are going to purchase buckets of ice cream. And I am going to meet you and Alison at the house later. Sound good?"

Chris smiles gently, looking to Alison to see if that sounds good. Alison just launches herself at Nixie, wrapping her in a hug and trembling against her. Nixie holds her back just as fiercely, in spite of the pain it causes against her stomach. Sighing, Alison then whispers to her… "Can you… can you tell Scott…" "I got this."

Alison smiles at her, and then looks to her dad and says, "Please." "We'll be waiting with the ice cream Nixie." Nixie smiles at him, and then says, "Good. I'll be there as soon as I can."

And with that, she moves over to Scott, Stiles, and Jackson. Sighing, she says, "First things first… Jackson… thank you for loaning your car to Stiles." Jackson nods, not wanting to risk saying anything else right now. She might be thanking him, but he didn't doubt that she was still pissed for the part he had played in what happened tonight.

Then she looks to Stiles and asks, "Lydia?" "They don't know. Last I checked, the doctors said it looked like she was having some kind of allergic reaction to what happened to her." Frowning, Nixie says, "Right. So we go and check on her before I go to Alison's."

Then she turns to Scott, and says, "You're coming to Alison's. I'll figure out a way to let you in. Don't rush me. It's going to be a while. So don't come straight away. Got it. Stay with Lydia for a while. I'll call you when I think it's getting close to time." "Okay! Thank you!" "Yeah, yeah."

Sighing, she then says, "I have to find my bike. Jackson, you said five people could fit in your car?" Jackson nods, and then nods again when Nixie asks if her bike might fit in the trunk.

Before she can run off, Scott says, "Wait here. I can find it and get it faster."

He takes off, and Nixie sighs and says, "Oh, and Stiles… I'm keeping your jacket for a little while longer. Just until we can get to my house for a new change of clothes." "That's cool."

* * *

It takes thirty minutes to get all of that done. They have to stop at Nixie's apartment for clothes after switching into Stiles' jeep. She keeps her bike so she can ride from the hospital later. Then they stop at Stiles' for clothes, and then Scott's. And while they were at Stiles', he managed to call his dad and get an update on Lydia. Apparently, she was going to be fine.

Which probably meant she was a werewolf now. Great.

When they get to the hospital, visiting hours are long past over. But… when has that ever stopped them before.

Although as Stiles tries to shut the door on Lydia's room, Nixie closes her eyes in annoyance at the constantly and loudly squeaking door. Sighing when it's finally shut, she says, "Okay, so everyone remember next time we're sneaking in here, someone needs to bring WD-40."

Standing next to Lydia's bed, Stiles bumps Scott's shoulder and says, "You do it." "No you do it." Stiles shakes his head and says, "I can't… I'm way too worried."

And Nixie was too, but that didn't stop her from reaching forward and gently starting to peel the bandage away from where Stiles had said the bite mark was. Stiles looks away, unable to watch. But when he hears her pulling the bandage aside, he asks, "Is it completely healed?"

Both Nixie and Scott stare at it for a moment, and then Nixie says, "No. Actually… not at all." Stiles does look at that, and as Nixie puts the bandage back in place, Stiles says, "I don't understand… the doctors said she'd be fine now. That's what my dad said." Scott nods, but adds, "But the bite's not healing like it did with me. Which means…"

Nixie finishes for him, "She's not a werewolf." Stiles and Scott look at her, and then Stiles asks, "Then what the hell is she?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Beats the ever living hell out of me."

Sighing as she seals the bandage back in place, she says, "But she will be fine. And there's nothing more we can do right now until she wakes up. Stiles? You still staying?" "Yep." Nodding, Nixie says, "Still shouldn't wait in here. If you do, they might kick you out of the hospital altogether. Go to the chairs."

As they exit the room and Scott and Nixie head back outside, Scott asks, "Hey. Are you okay?" "I'm fine. Just tired. And ironically enough… hungry. Hopefully Chris won't mind if I raid his fridge for more than just ice cream." Scott grins, and then asks, "So… about…" "Stay with Stiles for a while. I promise, as soon as it's possible for you to see Alison, I'll call you." "Thanks." "No problem."

* * *

It's actually three days later, after the news has had it's story about Kate and after it had become apparent that Nixie would be helping Scott and Alison sneak around behind Chris' back.

It was then, on a night she was sleeping over with Alison again, that Alison accidentally walked into the bathroom that Nixie was standing in.

Nixie forgot to lock the door. Damn it. Did she really have to remember everything? Could just once she forget something and it not ruin everything?

Alison's mouth dropped open at the sight of her, and at the rest of the bathroom. Nixie claimed that she just liked to take long showers. That's why she spent a while in the bathroom. And the Argents didn't really seem to mind it, which she was grateful for.

But that's not what Nixie's doing. Because the shower is off, her hair is damp and she's finished washing.

And the bathroom sink is covered in bloody cotton swabs and pads, and though Nixie had cleaned it out and it was healing… blood was still leaking from the wound every time after she took a shower.

Alison stares a moment longer, and then hurriedly steps inside and shuts the door. Back to Nixie, she asks, "What happened? Did… was it the fight? When he tossed you on the porch? Did he…" Nixie sighs and says, "No… it wasn't the fight."

Leaning forward against the sink, sighing again tiredly, Nixie says, "This was before the fight." "Before? But… you were at the fight… and if this…"

Alison stares at her in shock and asks, "You were hurt the whole time?! Before you even got there?! Nixie… why would you…" "They needed me."

Blinking, she takes in Nixie's firm posture and the set way she stares into the mirror back at herself. Then Nixie turns to Alison and says, "Scott and Stiles needed me. Stiles needed me so Peter wouldn't do this to him. Scott needed me so Kate didn't kill him. And Scott needed me to keep an eye on you, so he didn't have to while he tried to take on Peter."

Back to the sink, Nixie says, "I wasn't about to let a scratch stop me from helping to kick his ass." "Scratch?! Nixie?!" "Will you please stop shouting?!"

Sighing again, Nixie then turns sharply to Alison when she says, "You have to tell someone. My dad… he can…" "No." "Nixie… you have to…" "I said no." "Why?!"

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie finally says softly, "It was supposed to be a message. For Scott. A message that Peter wasn't afraid to hurt us, and that he'd hurt all of us if Scott didn't join him." Looking at Alison again, Nixie says, "I don't care if he's dead. I'm not giving him the satisfaction of delivering that last message. Not to anyone. Certainly not to your dad, who already has a bad opinion of werewolves in general."

Dabbing at the wound again, she sighs and wonders if it'll ever stop bleeding. That's when Alison's hands take the place of hers. Turning Nixie around so she was sitting against the sink, Alison took over cleaning and rebandaging the wound, following Nixie's instructions on what to do.

When they're done, Alison says, "I'll help you. That way my mom won't have to worry about asking you to keep the showers down to thirty minutes. It'll go faster."

They stare at each other for a minute, and then Nixie nods and says softly, "Thanks." "Of course, Nixie. And… and you're sure we can't tell anyone else?" "No. No one else. Please Alison."

"Alright." "Thank you."

In bed that night, Nixie is having trouble falling asleep. That's when Alison gently wraps an arm around her from behind. Holding her close, Alison says, "My dad used to do this when I couldn't sleep. It helped me. Is… this okay?" Nixie nods silently, and then gently pats Alison's hand before saying tiredly, "Thanks Alison."

A tear leaks from her eye, a tired and weary and exhausted tear, but she finally falls asleep, with Alison's comforting arm around her, and the sound of a soft rain falling on the ground outside.

* * *

And that's all folks! Well, for Season 1 at least. And currently, I have no idea when I'll start posting for Season 2. As usual, I like having at least the majority of the story already written before I begin posting it here on the cite. But I do plan on getting to work on Season 2 shortly after this. So Yay!

I really hope you all enjoyed what I did with Season 1 and how I made Nixie a part of it. This is the first time I wrote about her without also having Parrish in the story, so let me know what you still think of her and the story. Remember, you guys loving my previous stories are part of what inspired me to go back and do something for Season 1 in the first place.

One final shout out to AnnieHart, who sent me the message that kick-started my thoughts for what I wrote in Season 1. You're awesome and I hope this story has done justice to what you or anyone else might've expected. Love you guys. :)


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